How I fell in love with my best friend
by Krapo
Summary: Narusaku. How the little blond boy Sakura had always known had changed, changing as well her feelings. The unfolding of their life, while Naruto worked to become the best Hokage and she faced her own emotions. Growing Love.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER CORRECTED**

 **Thanks to KITSU for beta reading this chapter!**

 **Please no insult! Author work for free, do not forget that we are sharing our work with love and kindness.**

 **I do not own Naruto, or the story would have a different ending.**

 **Please the reviews are really important to me, do not hesitate to let even a word. It is my first time really trying to write in english.**

 _ _After the fourth Great Ninja War and the battle between Naruto and Sasuke, Sakura found the two men bleeding profusely and on the verge of death. She then immediately proceeded to heal them both at the same time. After doing everything she could to keep them alive, she brought them back to the Konoha Hospital so that they could be treated there.__

 _Naruto, as usual, recovered faster than anyone else. He escaped from the hospital to go to Neiji's burial and comfort_ _ed Hinata with a small squeeze of his hand. Sakura, at the back, witnessed the gesture and stayed back so as to not show her presence. But she couldn't take her eyes off of him, not really knowing why, as if she was afraid that he might disappear right before her eyes. At the end of the ceremony she recognized the signs of exhaustion on the face of the young man and caught him before he faltered. She scolded him a little for leaving the hospital without permission and put an arm around his waist to support him and helped him walk back to the hospital._

 **How I fell in love with my best friend**

Arriving at the hospital, Sasuke, who was completely stuck in his bed, felt his frustration growing by the minute from seeing his roommate fooling around as if he had already recovered. How could Naruto have recovered so quickly when he himself was still so drained and hurt everywhere? He was on the verge of lashing out in his frustration at the blond grinning like an idiot when he heard Sakura talk with a gentle smile while changing the bandage around Naruto's arm.

"You don't have to put on a brave face in front of me, Naruto. I know it's still painful, but I do trust your natural fast recovery, mister Uzumaki, to get you out of here in no time."

Sakuke realized two things at that moment: that these few years had distanced him very much from the bond that those two shared, and the fact that it was probably the power of the Uzumaki blood that was healing Naruto so much faster than any normal human. He was deep in thought when Sakura turned towards him to check on his well-being.

Naruto was laying down on his bed, looking at his two friends with a bittersweet feeling. He made it, he thought. He had brought back Sasuke and now Sakura could be truly happy. Even with all the satisfaction in the world at having managed this small miracle of pulling Sasuke out of the darkness, he felt a tug at his heart, realizing that he now had to bury his love for the pinkette forever. He shut his eyes tight and turned away from the scene, feeling some traitorous tears trying to escape.

Sakura pulled out of her light talk with Sasuke. Something seemed amiss with her teammate. Call it a sixth sense or whatever, but she knew at that moment that Naruto was too quiet for her liking. She stood up to walk toward him when a nurse interrupted her thoughts, asking her to come for another emergency.

Later during the night, Sasuke woke up to the sound of thrashing. Too many years on the run had made his sleep always light and he shot an annoyed look at the blond for waking him up. But his words were lost for the second time that day when he saw his one and only friend panting and holding his heart. His voice came out hoarsely. "Naruto?" The blond boy jumped in surprise and turned his head towards his friend, feeling a little embarrassed. The questioning look on his face told him the whole story.

"Sorry! I woke you up!" Grinning awkwardly, Naruto released his grip on his shirt immediately and jumped to his feet. "I am going to the restroom." The blond walked away as if nothing happened, trying to avoid any questions. When he came back he sighed in relief; Sasuke had gone back to sleep. He went back to sleep too, happy that his friend never was the curious type.

Early the next morning, Sakura frowned seeing a nurse jumping happily in front of the nurse board. _What the hell is happening?_ She pushed away the thought as she continued walking to her next patient. The hospital was still full from the war effort.

The nurse put her hand on the doorknob of the room of her next task. She again read the name on it and the treatment needed. This was her lucky day. She pushed open the door to reveal her two patients. The black-haired one was handsome but his dreadful look was giving her goosebumps. However, she was more than happy to treat him if it meant that she was going to treat the hero of Konoha: Naruto Uzumaki.

She came closer to the man that was making her heart throb to get a better look at him. She felt her heart speed up and her face turn more and more red as her eyes lingered on him. His disheveled blond hair spread around the pillow like a golden halo. His arm bent over his head showing the muscles gained by years of training. His peaceful face with his lips partly open... _so inviting_. She shivered at the thought of kissing those lips and she turned one shade redder. His shirt was abandoned on the side of the bed and the covers were half laying on the ground, so she continued her inspection, letting her eyes wander over all the skin available, his well developed chest, his toned abdomen… A gasp escaped and her nose started bleeding profusely, forcing her to run out of the room to come back to her senses.

The erratic movement of the nurse attracted Sakura's attention again. She was more than pissed off and walked straight to the woman. "Pull yourself together! There's nothing to get so worked up about!" the pinkette lashed out harshly at the bleeding nurse. _Geez! Just because her teammate became kind of famous... that did not justify the medical team being unprofessional... It was just Naruto! The same idiot that she knew since forever..._ She took the bandage from the nurse and went in to do her job. _If I am the only one sane enough to do the job, then I'll do it!_ The pinkette stood still in front of her teammate's bed, her eyes wide open, her breath hitching in her throat. Only the drip of her own blood on her hand pulled her out of her reverie. She hastily pulled the covers over Naruto's body and turned around, rapidly cleaning her nose with her handkerchief and walking over to Sasuke, her brain in full turmoil. The words "big" and "sexy" keep popping up in her head with the invasive image of her best friend's morning arousal. She inhaled profoundly, trying to push away the discovery she made and landed back on earth immediately with Sasuke's awakening.

She smiled gently at him and tenderly caressed his black hair. "How are you today?" was her only question to him while releasing the old bandage. As usual, the dark haired man did not talk more than necessary but she still felt happiness bubble in her heart to see him here with her.

With her extreme dexterity, her job was done quicker than she would have loved to take and she turned an angry look towards her blond teammate. _She had to do it…_ She approached and shook his shoulder roughly. Blue eyes appeared under fluttering eyelids before she heard a groggy "Sakura-chan..." He sat up, rubbing sleep out of his eyes, the covers pooling in his lap. She tried to not look past the damn covers and to distract him so he wouldn't see through her, she blew away her anger by harshly pulling off the band aid on his cheek. He winced. "You don't need that anymore," she said.

"True... but you can still be a little bit nicer to me... I'm your patient!" he mumbled while rubbing his cheek.

"And why are you not wearing your clothes properly?" she asked while undoing the bandage around his arm.

"It was too bothersome to close the button with only one hand." was his shameful reply, like a kid who tried to justify himself when scolded.

His little pout made all of her turmoil fly out of the window. He was still just her innocent best friend, the kid that she knew so well. A gentle smile appeared on her face and she put on the new bandage. "Well, it seems that you won't be my patient for too long," she added. The happy grin on her best friend's face told her how much he hated staying in a hospital room. She began to work on his back, hands healing the different tissues as she put her palm fully against his back. "But before you leave, I want to have some exams for your heart, your heartbeat seems a bit erratic. It may not be much, but I'm still worried, since it stopped beating during the war."

Naruto did not try to argue with the medic and nodded his head to agree. But he knew exactly why his heartbeat was abnormal... Her hand on his skin was all that he needed to wake his arousal for her again that he was trying so hard to control and he was clearly embarrassed with the situation. With the same dexterity she finished her task on Naruto and readied herself to leave. Sasuke offered her a silent nod but Naruto turned his face toward the window. She concluded for herself that he must be angry at her for the supplementary exam.

Later that day, she happily came back to the room of her two teammates with the results and Sai following her. Naruto was relating his different adventures like a happy child catching up with his friend. It would be so nice if everything could be so simple as Naruto wished, but even she was able to see that the polite Sasuke was nowhere close to the old Sasuke that they had known in their childhood.

"Hi! Dickless!" saluted Sai as usual, entering the room.

It might be as usual, but it reminded her of her morning event with Naruto and she needed a few seconds to relax her nervous smile from her face to continue on the purpose of her visit. She separated the two boys that were already fighting, punching them both on the head.

"You're free to go, Naruto. Sai is here to accompany you to your house. Leave before destroying the hospital!" she informed him before turning away. The two boys rubbed the tops of their painful heads with their hands. Sai handed him a bag with some clothes.

"Kakashi-sensei told me to bring you some," the pale man said.

"How is he doing as a Hokage?" the blond questioned.

"He hates it," was Sai's honest statement.

A sly smile appeared on Naruto's face. "He should give the position to me, if he hates it that much."

"Actually he has already said that too... as soon as you are ready to take the job, he will gladly let you have it," Sai confided.

It was a huge realization for Naruto. _Becoming Hokage is not so far off anymore... I just need to hang on a little longer_.

His head halfway into his tee shirt, Naruto turned to Sasuke. "You can come to my place when you're discharged too." A happy grin bobbed out of the collar.

"Like hell! You are too noisy when you sleep!" Sasuke replied sternly, even if in reality he was pleased by the offer.

"Did you get to hear him talk about Sakura in his sleep again?" asked Sai innocently.

"Not exactly..." the black-haired patient said simply, looking more intently at the blushing blond and silencing the artist.

"Time to go!" Naruto pulled Sai towards the door. "I'll come visit you tomorrow!"

The next day, Sakura was coming into the room to check on Sasuke and change his bandages when she found someone with him. It was the red haired woman, his former teammate. It was like spying on a very intimate scene. Sasuke was biting her arm and there was something in the expression on her face. Love... This woman was in love with him. Sasuke lifted his eyes up to Sakura but did not stop what he was doing. Sakura felt suddenly embarrassed and mumbled that she would come back later, quickly leaving the room.

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	2. Chapter 2

**THANKS TO KITSU FOR HER BETA READING**

 **Thanks to all the people that have fav or follow my story. I would really appreciate to read some reviews about my work. I remind people that i have absolutely no obligation to share my work and i do not make profit of it. Review are the kindness given back by the reader to the author that have work hard (even if it do not show in my quality of writting) to offer you a story...**

 **I do not own Naruto (unfortunately)**

CHAP 2

Two days later, Sasuke was discharged as well and ready to leave Konoha immediately.

At the gate of the city, Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi were there for the parting farewell. Kakashi explained to Sasuke that it was due to his helping in the war, Naruto's intervention, and him being the Hokage that Sasuke was not thrown in jail. Naruto gave him back his head protector with the Konoha symbol and Sakura stayed silent holding dear the small hope in her heart. But he left.

Kakashi and Naruto turned to go back in the village while she stayed immobile a few moments more looking at the figure leaving. And she ran. She ran as if her life depended on it. Naruto shot back his head. "Sakura-chan." The name escaped softly just for himself. He had always known it, that she would choose Sasuke, but even while knowing it still hurt. _She didn't even say goodbye_.

Kakashi understood perfectly what was happening in his student's head and gently ruffled his hair.

"She will certainly be back with him in two weeks for your arm transplant," assured the new Hokage. Naruto sighed and followed his teacher, putting his only hand in his pocket.

Sakura caught up with Sasuke before he disappeared into the forest. "Take me with you!" she pleaded. He turned around to face her. She was panting and her cheeks were slightly pink like her hair. It was true that she was somewhat cute. He had to acknowledge that the Dobe was not completely blind, at least in his choice of girl's looks.

"No, this is my own path, you have nothing to do with my sins."

"But..." She hesitated and closed her eyes to gather her courage to confess again her emotions. He stopped her with a small flick on her forehead.

"Thank you." He had a sad smile, knowing exactly what she was going to say. "Konoha, the hospital need you more than me..." He hesitated as though searching for words.

She wanted to tell him that Konoha was full of competent shinobi, that there were other doctors in the hospital. She opened her mouth and closed it when Sasuke hugged her for the first time in her life. She was speechless. Shocked by his tender gesture. The voice near her ears came more hoarsely, like what he was going to say was costing him a lot. "Take good care of my friend, he needs you more than me, too." And with that, in the next second he disappeared. She looked around searching for him, but he had completely disappeared as if he had teleported. _He did not let her to follow him._ She fell to her knees and stayed crying for a while.

When the night came around, she did not feel like going back home. She walked helplessly in the street before finding herself in front of her best friend's door. She knocked at the door without any answer and without him around, she really felt lonely. She sat in front of his door hugging her knees and was half asleep by the time he appeared in front of her. Surprise was written all over his face but he still invited her to enter. She followed him inside and he closed the door. He seemed happy. _Naruto is always so cheerful, I wish I could be a little bit more like him... strong_.

She heard the click of the door and it was like she was finally safe with him. She was so drained and was not able to hold back anymore. The tears came back to her eyes and he panicked a little, not knowing what happened, and he did the first thing that came to his mind. He hugged her, sheltering her from all the pain in the world with his body, his arm rolling around her thin waist and pulling her closer in a protective gesture. She hugged him back with all her strength to find support in her best friend that was always there for her whatever happened. She cried against his warm chest. He was her strength. He was her invariable support. Naruto did not say anything, nor move until she finished soaking his tee shirt completely. When she felt a little more calm, he led her toward his small table, offering to make her tea.

She was so upset by her whole ordeal that she did not realize it at first. But now that she was sitting and waiting for him to come back, something was unusual in his flat. Books and scrolls were all over the place and she was a little curious. She had known his place to be dirty and messy with his clothes everywhere. But not today. The bed was done and everything seemed in place, nothing dirty, not even under the bed. It was just those books and even they were quite organized. He came back with two mugs and sat nearby her. He put the mug down in front of her and began to drink his. Lost for words, he began to think. If she had asked him to search for Sasuke, he would do it in an instant. But she did not ask anything. _Maybe the Bastard has done something to her..._

"That bastard!" he exclaimed, taking a grip on her shoulder, "What did the bastard do to you?". He was beyond furious as his imagination was going wild. "I will kill him!" he shot angrily. His furious state and his misunderstanding had the power to at least make Sakura laugh a little.

"Calm down Naruto... he did not do anything." She lost her easy smile. "He just left me behind..."

"Sakura-chan," was the only thing that he said. He was full of compassion but didn't know what to say. He know all too well how it felt to be left behind, but did not know how to cure this pain. He remembered Kakashi. "He will be back in two weeks for his arm and when he comes back I will punch in his stupid face to beat some sense into him," he offered with a forced grin. The same grin that he put on his face every time he was hurt but did not want others to see it.

"Yeah you are right!" she accepted, smiling a little at his antics. "He will come back and I still have my best friend here for me." She squeezed his hand a little. He was happy to have cheered her up. Even if he was forever just her 'best friend'. It was always better than nothing to him.

She turned suddenly the conversation to another topic, pulling him out of his musings. "Since when do you read?".

"I learned to read at school like everybody else," he replied honestly, a little hurt that she asked this type of question.

"Not just reading baka! I mean, your room is full of scrolls and books, I never imagined you as the studious type," she clarified for him.

"Ah! That! ...That is my training to become the best Hokage ever," he affirmed proudly. "Baa-chan lent a lot of materials to me and she is helping me out during the day to teach me as much as possible... but I still have to work hard by myself as well."

An honest smile stretched across Sakura's face... _Naruto never changed, he never lost his goal from view._ "You will be a great Hokage," she said with certainty and his smile became even brighter. "So what is it all about?" she asked curiously.

"Those are about politics," he gestured to the big piles near his bed, "those about history," he showed another one on the corner, "and those and those," he flashed a unique, tender smile, "they are documents from my father." His cerulean blue eyes reflected so much emotion when he uttered those words that she was hypnotized by them. So much that she punched him out of nowhere to get rid of the spell.

"What was that for?" he asked, rubbing his cheek. She did not even know herself why she had done that but anyway she had to find a way out of it now.

"So you should be working your ass off now instead of wasting your time talking with me." She readied herself to stand up and leave but he stopped her.

"What kind of Hokage would I be, if I was not even able to be here for my friend?" he responded seriously.

 _Why was he always so dedicated to taking care of everyone?_

"By the way, now that you are here... you can maybe help me do my homework... There are a bunch of things I don't understand and I'm afraid to ask baa-chan as I am sure she will beat the life out of me for not knowing them in the first place. At least you already know that I'm an idiot and wont be surprised by my questions." In some ways, she was happy to be useful and to change her focus to whatever he had to study.

He opened a book and later, another until they fell both asleep around the small table. The hours passed and she woke up suddenly to the sound of a voice. She lifted herself up to look at the other side of the table where her teammate was sleeping and mumbling. Normally his mumbling was only annoying, but not this time. This time it was really painful to witness him sleep-talk. She did not know what exactly his dream was but just seeing him tossing around with a tensed face was enough to make her want to pull him out of it. She leaned over to him and shook his shoulder. He sat up instantly, eyes exaggeratedly wide open, tears sliding freely over his whiskered cheeks. He was hyperventilating. She put her hands on his cheeks to dry the tears that had rolled down and forced him to look at her.

"It is OK, Naruto... It was just a nightmare," she said with a reassuring voice as though to calm a small child. He finally saw her, coming back to his senses, and felt embarrassed. _Why does she have to always witness my uncool side._ He tried to collect himself as fast as possible and place a grin on his face.

"It is OK," he repeated with false conviction. But she did not take her hands from his cheeks and bent down more to study his face to try to discover what could have frightened the boy that was able to run toward hell and come back victorious. "Not so close Sakura-chan or I will think that you want to kiss me," he said jokingly, but at least she went back to a safe distance, her hands off him.

 _A little bit closer and I would be the one stealing a kiss from her._ She went back to her place but did not let go. "So spit it out."

"Just a nightmare," he calmed her down.

"It nearly looked like a genjutsu... so what was so frightening? Talk! You know that I will not let you escape," she ordered.

He sighed. "The war," was all he had to say for her to understand the nightmare. "I was seeing all of you die one after another without being able to save any one of you."

Everything was even more clear for her _. He was not afraid of his own death, but the death of his friends._ "You don't have to carry everyone on your shoulders... It's the shinobi life, our duty as well to die in battle."

He clenched his fists tightly and determination shined in his eyes. "When I'm Hokage... There will be no more war... I will protect everyone," he declared.

 _He was so sure of himself, he never wavered... he was a pillar in her life and one day he would bring the same hope for everyone._

"And I will be by your side," she said without thinking. He shot her a confused look and his hopes got crushed again when she continued, "You can count on me! We are a team!"

 _She was not proposing to you idiot, stop dreaming!_

He offered to let her stay over, her taking the bed and him on a futon. It was so late that she accepted. Early the next morning she thought that she would be the first awake but the futon was empty and the sound of the shower informed her of where her friend was. He popped out of his bathroom silently with just a towel around his waist. He did not expect her to already be awake and he stopped all movement like a deer surprised before being killed. She looked at him and immediately lowered her eyes.

"You should dress quickly or you will catch a cold," she said in her most neutral tone. "I don't want you to come back as my patient... I have already enough work to do." He nodded and quickly grabbed his clothes in his closet before going back in his bathroom to put them on.

She released her breath as soon as he disappeared behind the door and she felt her cheeks burn. Since that horrible morning at the hospital, she was not able to look at him normally. Her teammate had stopped being a sexless brat in her mind and was now completely part of the male gender. _I am a pervert! I hope he did not realize I was looking at him._

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	3. Chapter 3

THANKS TO KITSU FOR HER BETA READ WORK

Thanks for thoses that have the kindness to write a review.

"..." : voiced talk

 _italic_ : inner talk

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 **CHAP 3**

The days passed by and she was still very busy at the hospital. In some ways, she was quite happy to be busy, it was helping her to cope with Sasuke's departure. But tonight, she was off duty. She sighed deeply. Staying by herself thinking about him was not a good idea. So when she left the hospital, she immediately took off in the direction of her best friend's flat. He was always good at cheering her up. Even when she felt utterly broken, he managed to change the flow of her thoughts. She smiled, remembering his antics when telling her about his study session with Tsunade. She jumped on a few rooftops to arrive more quickly at his place. But with a small glance toward Ichiraku she spotted a glimpse of the infamous orange tracksuit. Thinking that surprising the number one prankster was a good idea, she landed very quietly in a dark alley nearby, in a spot where she would be able to launch an attack without being seen.

A malicious smile stretched across her face and disappeared as she got a full view of her target. He was not alone. Hinata was with him... feeding him... and he was blushing. Surprise wasn't exactly the right word for what she was feeling. She was like a statue, lost looking at them, at him. The soft look on Hinata's face while blowing on his noodles, his hesitancy at bending over the hand reaching toward him, the way his cerulean blue eyes lifted up to the Hyuga heiress and... his blushing cheeks. No, it was not just surprise that was making her tremble from head to toe. It was not just surprise but she did not want to put a name on it. She jumped back on the rooftop and went directly to the training ground to vent her insane 'whatever-feeling'.

Naruto hesitantly accepted the noodles. He was a little embarrassed. It was true that he wasn't really comfortable eating with his left hand. But he felt that there was something unusual in the air. Maybe it was the way Hinata was looking so frankly at him instead of shuddering. Or maybe her smile... She was no longer the gloomy girl that was bullied when they were kids. She was stronger. There was something in the sweetness of Hinata that was putting him on edge too. He cleared his throat and sat up more straightly.

"I should learn to eat with my left hand... I have many more days before the arm transplant." He showed a toothy grin. "I can do it," he added cheerfully, not wanting to cause his friend any discomfort.

"It is my pleasure to help you Naruto-kun," Hinata said timidly, turning back to her own ramen.

They both looked at each other in surprise when they felt a small earthquake. Naruto stood up without thinking and went directly in battle mode. He jumped to the rooftop trying to sense the chakra of the only person that was able to do something like that except Baa-chan and hurried up toward the location. He landed at full speed in the middle of the training field where his teammate was still panting hard form the release of chakra. His eyes was scanning around to search for the enemy while she looked at him, dumbfounded to see him there.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, not understanding what he was doing.

The cerulean eyes stopped on her, she was safe. He breathed out finally. "What?" With some delay, his brain registered the question and the fact that there was no enemy. He deactivated his battle mode and put his hand on his hip. "I thought you were under attack."

"I was just training," was the sheepish answer of the pinkette.

"Hard core training!" he mumbled. "I felt the shock at Ichiraku. My ramen!" he exclaimed, realizing, "I even abandoned my ramen for a training session!" The look of deep despair on his face was so precious that she laughed, completely forgetting why she had blown away half of Training Ground 3.

"Come on! I will offer you another as an apology."

 _He was still the same, always the same... and he was her best friend._

Sasuke came back the exact day of the transplantation. He was the same silent man as ever. They were both lying down on their respective hospital beds and Naruto tried to talk to him before the anesthesia took effect. Slowly his consciousness was slipping away. Everything was becoming more blurry, his muscles refusing to obey him, his eyelids becoming more heavy, the black head melting in the white of the room and the discreet smile on his face before everything became completely black. The dark-haired man shortly followed the slumbering state of his best friend and the nurse pushed them into their surgery room.

Much later, Tsunade and Sakura emerged out of the surgery room. Sakura turned to her master with a soft smile even with the exhaustion that the surgery had caused her. Her master smiled at her back, she already know what her student's question was.

"Naruto is fine, I am sure that he will be running around before nightfall." Sakura kept looking at the older woman's back. Tsunade really had a special connection with Naruto. Even as her disciple, Sakura wasn't at the receiving end of such a facial expression from the older woman. She was known to be a ferocious warrior, one of the famous Sannin legend, but it was with nearly motherly love that she was talking about Naruto.

A few hours later, the said blond man woke up in his hospital room. Alone. A panic took him and even completely groggy, he grabbed his IV and made his way to the door. He stumbled over his own feet before reaching the door, the anesthesia not completely gone. From the crashing sound he made, a nurse and Sakura rushed to his room to find him on the floor. With a force fueled only by the anger of his stupidity, Sakura lifted him up from the ground and throw him on his bed.

"What do you think you are doing, idiot?" She stomped to him and pointed an angry finger at his chest. "Do not move even one lash until I give you the order... is that clear?" she barked. The blond man disoriented by the drug and the shock was feeling his head spinning around. But in the middle of his complete incomprehension of the situation he was in, he still managed to find his groggy voice.

"Where... How is Sasuke?"

She was deflated. _Count on him to forget about himself for his friend._ "We're just having him wake up in another room to avoid any contamination. He is perfectly OK. The transplant was a success," she informed him. The blond smiled lazily and fell asleep again.

The next morning the two men were discharged and met in the hall of the hospital. Naruto was fresh and full of vitality while Sasuke was still tired. The excited blond stood up in front of his friend, blue serious eyes meeting black impassive eyes. "We need to talk!" he stated, punching his left hand with his new one. The black-haired man straightened up more, unwilling to lose to his eternal rival, meeting his eyes with the same determination.

"I'll follow you!" was the reply.

Sakura saw the exchange from the nurse's office where she was giving her directive for the day. She stomped to them and punched them both on the head roaring, "No fighting!" She shot them a terrifying glare. "If one of you gets even a single scratch anywhere... I will personally kill him! You just got back a new arm, don't think of trashing it immediately... do you even know how difficult it is to grow those things?" She was fuming and neither of the two were willing to go against her. She immediately turned back to the office she came from.

When she was out of ear shot, Sasuke rubbed his throbbing head and turned to Naruto. "It is the first time she punched me."

Naruto laughed. "You are lucky, because she punches me all the time..." he rubbed his head too. The blond ninja stopped laughing and with a very serious voice added, "We still need to talk, come to my place." Sasuke nodded and followed the blond ninja.

Naruto closed the door of his flat after his friend had left. He was feeling drained. He never really had a real conversation with Sasuke and suddenly he was wondering if anyone had ever had a conversation with him. The dark-haired man was only, "Hn" and "No". He wanted to make things right for Sakura but it was like the more he was trying to convince his best friend that she would make him happy, telling him how beautiful and how strong she was, the less the other guy seemed interested in her. _What did I do wrong?_ He did not understand. His friend was an idiot to not accept someone as loving as Sakura, someone able to forgive him even when he had hurt her, someone so... so special.

He lay down on his bed, putting his hand behind his head, and looked at the ceiling. The nice ray of light piercing through the window was warming his lonely room but he was strangely feeling cold. He thought to himself that it was probably still an aftereffect of the surgery. He turned his head slightly to look at the photo on his nightstand, Team 7. His eyes lingered longer on the lovely girl between them before closing his eyelids on some old memories. He sighed, a long, deep sigh coming from the bottom of his heart. If only he could have even half of the love that she was ready to give to Sasuke, he would certainly be the happiest man in the whole world.

'' _I am not interested in her,'_ ' was the bastard's answer. '' _Not interested_ '.' Sasuke was blind, deaf and stupid, from his point of view. If the bastard took the time to know her and see for himself he would surely change his mind, but Sasuke told him that he was leaving again and that nothing could stop him. Naruto could not even imagine how badly Sakura would be hurt by that.

A few days passed without major event. Sasuke was mostly staying the whole time in the small room of a guesthouse. He refused to go train with Naruto or hang out in the village. He was conscious that the town's people feared him, even with the ''Hero'' as his best friend. Anyway, Naruto still came by every day. ''Give up'' and ''Naruto'' were two concepts that could not stand next to each other in the same sentence. The black-haired man was at the end of his very thin patience when Naruto brought up the subject of Sakura again.

"For God's sake! Why don't you just date her instead of nagging me all the time?" roared Sasuke.

"She loves you." It was simple, it was short but it was the best answer that the blond could find to justify himself.

"And because she loves me, I have to love her too? You are as annoying as those stupid girls that believe in fairy tales," retorted Sasuke furiously. He was angry at his best friend for this stupid defeated look on his face, was angry that the man that fought him so ferociously withdrew from this battle without even putting up a fight. "Get out now and don't come back today... I have seen enough of your face," ordered the dark-haired ninja.

The blond lifted himself up but instead of leaving the room, he just jumped on his best friend to throw a punch at him. As expected, a few minutes later, the two young man were panting heavily and bruised all over. No more words were exchanged with thrown fists. They stood still in the middle of the room. Sasuke cleaned up the blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. Naruto was lost for words. He never imagined that a word could take out his breath more than any punch. He lifted his puffy eyelid as much as he could to look straight at his friend's face, he wanted to know.

"Why her? Why not Sakura-chan?" Sasuke paused, silence stretching around them, making the answer unbearable to wait for the blond in front of him. He felt that Naruto was on the verge of exploding again and he turned his back so as to not betray anything, even if he knew that his face was mostly impassive.

"She is a chakra sensor and she is pretty persistent." Sasuke stopped again to talk to ponder the weight of what he was going to say next. "She was with me in my darkest hour." A bit of sadness leaked into his voice as he remembered all the wrong he had done. He took a quick glance over his shoulder at the blond that was standing behind him, hanging on every word he was uttering. A small smirk crept to his face. "And I must have a thing for the Uzumaki," he said cryptically, laughing a little.

The blond jumped in surprise, eyebrows high on his forehead, mouth open wide enough to let in a whole colony of flies. _Did he hear something wrong?_ He shook his head vigorously. "What? What did you say?" he asked, not trusting his hearing. The black-haired man turned to face him completely, his smirk stretching wider.

"She is your cousin, you didn't know?" added Sasuke with false innocence.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER CORRECTED THANKS TO** ** **KITSU3 FOR HER BETA READING**  
**

 **CHAP 4**

That same day, Sakura had her afternoon free. She checked on every floor of the hospital that everyone got his or her assignment before going to change into her civilian clothes. She had planned this afternoon ages ago to be able to get some free time. She was tired from her hard work, but happy. She signed the last scroll on her desk and took off her white lab coat to leave it on the chair in her office. Everything was in order; she was ready to leave. She strolled down the hall humming to herself and passed through the lobby of the hospital. As soon as she approached the big hospital door, she spotted the sunny blond hair of her teammate. He was leaning on a pillar, back toward her, arms crossed over his chest. He must have been waiting for her. _Ha_ _ _d she told him that she had the afternoon free?__ Like the wonderful sunny weather, she was happy to see him anyway.

"Hello Naruto!" she said, reaching his side. Then she saw it and her smile faded away: his face was badly bruised. The young man wiped away his serious look to offer her a timid smile, but she was already grabbing him by the collar. "What did you do? You idiot! Do you really wish to die that young?" The threatening tone inspired nothing good and he lied to save his life.

"I fell from a rooftop," he said tentatively. He knew that it was a pitiful lie. With a quick glance, she checked if anything seemed serious and released him, seeing nothing worth worrying about. A thought occurred to her.

"Sasuke."

The panic in the blond's eyes was clear when he heard the name she whispered and she did not wait for more to rush toward the guesthouse where their teammate was staying. Naruto was quickly at her heels and grabbed her arm.

"Do you want to come to train with me?" he asked with a false cheerfulness in the voice but his eyes were pleading. She pulled her arm free and ignored him, continuing toward her goal. The blond rushed to her again, running in front of her to stop her. "The bastard is fine, don't worry! Come with me, train! It's been so long since we went to train together, dattebayo." She lifted her eyes to his stupid grin and she snapped. What state had this idiot put Sasuke in to insist so strongly that she not go to visit?

"Move out of my way now, Naruto Uzumaki," she growled. For once, even if her tone was dangerous, even if he knew that he was getting himself in trouble, he didn't want to back down. He extended his hand toward her.

"Come with me please... Sakura-chan." She pushed his hand away and completely ignored him, walking past him. He tried again and again to no avail.

He followed her until she reached the guesthouse. In one last attempt, he blocked her access to the door of the building. But she had made up her mind. If only he could force her. If only he could grab her and bring her far away to protect her. But she didn't want to be protected; she was this amazing, strong and proud woman that he loved so much, and he could never bring himself to force her to do anything. She lifted her eyes to meet his cerulean blue one. _Why so much sadness in those usually cheerful eyes? Had she been too rude to him?_

"We will train another day… OK?" she offered with a gentle voice. Her hand lightly squeezed his arm in a tender gesture before pushing him softly away from the door. He complied with her desire and his eyes followed her when she entered the building. He leaned against the wall and let himself slide down.

She knocked at the door and listened to the sound inside. The rustle indicated that someone was moving. The wood creaked a little as the door opened. Her eyes took in his face, the same lumpy face as Naruto. He was conscious of her studying him and he felt uncomfortable under her scrutiny.

"I fell from the rooftop," he lied. She chuckled, struggling to not laugh openly. _Did those two agree on the same lame lie? Certainly Naruto's stupid idea_. She had wanted to scold them, but the day those two would stop fighting did not yet exist. Anyway, as long as it was nothing too bad and just some male expression of friendship, it was OK with her.

He was surprised that she had so easily accepted his justification. Naruto must know her better than he did. He truly had believed that the lie was lame but his blond friend insisted that they would get scolded for hours if Sasuke didn't say the same stupid thing as him. He stayed silent, looking at her with her slightly rosy cheeks, the amused expression on her face. She was cute. _Had he made_ _the right choice? Wouldn't he be happy with a girl like her, as the Idiot said?_

Jade eyes full of expectancy bored into him and he was tempted to consider the option for a second. She was cute. Smart. Not a bad choice as a wife. But he was not the best choice as a husband. He would be gone soon because he had vowed to himself that he would protect Konoha from the shadows as Itachi had done. That would mean taking her away from Konoha and her friends or making her wait indefinitely for his non-return. This wasn't the best way to make her happy. He sighed. He knew what he had to do, so the pain from today would be for a greater good tomorrow. Maybe she would even open her eyes to the lost puppy that had followed her everywhere since childhood. He invited her to enter and timidly she made herself comfortable on the tatami. He went to sit directly in front of her, cross-legged, the broken table forgotten on one side of the room as another bit of proof of his fight with Naruto.

Sasuke had never known how to be eloquent. So he was what he knew how to be, incisive, and maybe a little bit too harsh. But he had to make his point come through. He tried not to waver, to keep his face as blank as possible as he witnessed her tears escape. _What could he do?_ He had just spoken the truth. She was chasing a ghost, a child who no longer existed. He was so different. They had all grown very different. _Did she not see that? Why did she keep clinging to the past?_ He wasn't the fairytale charming prince. But her feelings were still so real, her confession was so sincere and he felt powerless. He had kept his trump card quiet, hoping he would not have to give the final blow. In some way, she was as persistent as Naruto and she would certainly not give up otherwise, offering herself completely, offering to go with him or to wait until hell and earth melted together. Thinking of his two friends, because that was what she was to him, his friend, he laughed to himself. They could be such a good match for each other. He stood up and turned away, looking through the window. He could see the crouching figure down there, head in his hands... _just like a lost puppy,_ he thought. He strengthened his resolve and blurted out his trump card, knowing that the blond would take care of the mess after he finished with her.

She walked out of the building like an empty shell. She was broken. But he was there, still waiting outside crouching, with the same sad eyes looking at her. He had known. That was why he didn't want her to come. _He was there and he would be always there for her._ This was the tacit agreement they had together. Against all odds, they were Team 7. It drawn out a small smile in the middle of her overly devastated face.

"Let's do this training session!" she offered, her voice trembling slightly from all the pent up emotion she was trying to hold in. He nodded and stood up. He glanced at her, she was silent and he didn't try to pry, following her to the training ground. They stopped in the middle of it and he had to immediately switch to combat mode to block the punch that was coming toward him with enough force to destroy a mountain. She punched and punched, each blow more violent than the last. If it weren't for the extra chakra that Kuruma lent him to save their life, he might have been killed. But he didn't ask her to slow down or anything. He just took everything on himself and he didn't know if what hurt the most was the fist she was throwing at him or just seeing her cry so thoroughly. She punched screaming "That bitch!" and he blocked her fist hoping to himself that the redheaded chakra sensor would not cross Sakura's path, or he would again be the last survivor of the Uzumaki clan.

Sakura never stopped even to take a breath until the moment she just collapsed from chakra exhaustion. At that moment, her knees buckled and Naruto barely had time to catch her before her face hit the ground. He took hold of the pinkette and lifted her up in his arms. She rested her head against his shoulder; she didn't have anymore force left in her body to cry over Sasuke or to protest her best friend carrying her bridal style. Even if it was embarrassing, at that moment, she just craved the warmth of his chest and his strong arms holding her as though she were delicate. At that moment, without her strength, she felt fragile... and lost. But he was here.

Naruto heard her stifle a sniff and felt her hand grip his shirt a little tighter. Her voice came to his ears, more unsure than he have ever heard her.

"Don't leave me alone tonight... I don't want to be alone now."

He didn't bend his head down to look at the woman snuggling against him like a wounded animal. He just accepted her words without question. He brought her to his place and he kept her in his arms the whole time she was awake, seated together on his bed. He was aware that the normal Sakura would never have done this in any normal condition. But today was what could be called an emergency case. He sighed, releasing the sleeping form in his arms to put her to bed. He looked at her for a while, just enjoying watching the rise and fall of the bed sheet as she was breathing. With very hesitant fingers, he brushed away a lock of hair that was stuck nearby her mouth. He took hold of his fingers that seems to have their own will before they reached those tempting lips to brush them. Realizing what he was going to do, he smacked his own head to put some sense back in it. He turned quickly to avoid looking at the object of all his desire and plunged himself in reading a very boring political book. Why was just looking at those lips able to wake up the snake in his pants? This was very disturbing and he was sure that Sakura would have killed him if she had seen that.

The next morning, Sakura woke up dizzy as if she had a hangover. Lifting herself up, she was slightly disoriented and wondered where she was until her eyes focused on the back of her teammate seated at his small table studying silently. Hearing the rustle of the bed sheet, he turned his head, offering an apologetic smile.

"Did I woke you up?" he asked with a voice so soft and gentle, so far away from is usual loud volume. Remembering the past event, tears came to her eyes again and she didn't trust herself to talk without again breaking into a mess of tears. She just shook her head and he came to sit close to her, putting an arm around her, bringing her close to his chest. "Do you want me to go tell the hospital that you're not coming in today?" She nodded and they stayed like that for a minute before Naruto felt she was calm enough for him to leave her.

He came back as fast as if he'd run full speed to the hospital and back. He found her still snuggling against his pillow on his bed. In any other situation, he would have been thrilled to have the pinkette snuggling in his bed, but the hurt in her eyes killed any joy blossoming in his heart. He placed a smile on his face and with all the cheerfulness he could muster he put two takeaway bowls of ramen on the table and invited her to join him.

"I'm not hungry," she said, not moving one inch from her spot on the bed. He put his hands on his hips and looked down at the girl's form.

"Come on Sakura-chaaann," he insisted, using the loving particle he'd used when they were kids and he was pleading her. "Ramen is always good! It's always cheered me up whenever I felt down." Her eyes darted to him. "Ramen! Ramen!Ramen!" he cheerfully singsonged, doing a kind of cheerleader dance in front of her.

A small smirk crept up on her face; his antics and his smile were really the best remedy against depression. She decided to move to reward his efforts. The bright smile he offered her warmed her down to her aching bones. With his big blue eyes clearer than the sky and his sunny hair, he was the exact image of a happy summer. She rolled down to the floor, too tired to have a more refined way of moving, and sat herself in front of her pack of takeaway ramen. Her best friend joined her and she slurped down a few noodles without being able to taste anything. The tears as attracted by the terrestrial gravity fell down on the table and before he could even open his own ramen pack, Naruto ended up again seated with the girl he loved snuggling in his arms over the fact she loved someone else.

The whole day was spent the same way, oscillating between snuggling against him and more tears, as well as the day after that and the day after that. After three days of mourning the last hope of love, she had recovered from her chakra exhaustion and was able to stand on her own two feet without crying. She looked at the boy asleep on a book on his small table. She felt grateful. He had never let her down and didn't complain as she clearly took all of his time from his precious studies, judging by the fact that she was always seeing him studying or falling asleep on his books whenever she woke up. Who would have thought that the dead last of the academy would have grown into such a studious boy?

In some ways, she wasn't that surprised; Naruto had never given up in the face of hardship, just becoming stronger. He had made a point of mastering his biggest weakness, the clone technique, and using it as his best jutsu since the academy. To be totally honest, she could say that her best friend was far from being an idiot—dense for sure, but not an idiot. The questions he had asked her while studying together were not those of an idiot, just from someone lacking some basic knowledge. She looked around at the small room, the greyish color of the walls, the old and decrepit table where he was sleeping. The same small room he had always lived in, without anyone to support him. He just didn't have anyone to explain to him the things that he didn't understand when they were kids. She fondly remembered her mother helping her with her homework. And he was alone. That's why Team 7 was so important to him; it was his family. In some ways, he was as reassuring as a big brother. She had felt so right curling up against him, as if it was the most secure place in the world.

She stood up from the bed and he lifted his head toward her, his eyes still half closed and some saliva at the corner of his mouth that he hastily dried up with his sleeve. She ruffled his hair tenderly, a small smile on her face.

"I am going back home," she informed him. "I have to go to work." He nodded, rubbing his eyes sleepily and yawning while standing up as well. "You don't have to stand up, you can keep sleeping." But the blond shot her a glare that was more than an answer.

"I am coming with you. Give me one minute!" The tone was firm and lower than usual from waking up, giving him an even more manly voice. He disappeared into his bathroom to take a shower and once fully clothed, he grabbed his bag to put some books in it.

Silently, he followed her to her house, walking with his hands behind his head, and stealing a glance at the pinkette here and there to check that she really was fine. Said girl seemed back to her normal self, at least for now.

Oddly, Sakura found him waiting for her again when she left her house a few minutes later, and he kept following her all the way to the hospital. She had thought that he was going to study with Tsunade as he had filled up his bag with books, but maybe Tsunade took over her duties because of her leave. The point at which his behavior stopped making any sense at all was when he followed her to her office and settled himself on a chair in the corner, pulling a book out out of his bag.

"Can you explain to me what you are doing? Are you waiting for Tsunade-shishou?" she asked out of curiosity.

"Aah? Baa-chan? Why would I wait for baa-chan here?" He scratched his head to try to understand her reasoning. "I am just sticking around. Am I being a bother?"

Calling him a bother, when he had nicely borne with her for three days, leaving her his bed and listening to all her whining, would be a bit too harsh. So she opted to just let him be. It was certainly out of worry and the gesture was nice enough to not throw him out.

"No, you can stay... but be quiet," she accepted sitting at her desk. He beamed at her and promised to be as good as gold. She trusted him, but maybe if she had known how her day would turn out because of him, she would have changed her answer.

She hadn't been there for more than two hours and already nearly the whole female staff had come to her office for every reason imaginable. She could have imagined the young nurses showing this type of unprofessional conduct, but even the older women came in, throwing glances at her blond teammate who was reading in the corner. She was fuming, but he didn't give her a single reason to throw him out. Instead of having to strangle him for something he didn't do, she decided to go check on the different services. She left her seat and he was prompt to do the same but she stopped him.

"Stay here or leave the hospital but do not disturb my job." The tone came out harsher than she wanted and he flinched, wondering if he had done something wrong to make her so upset. She was certainly still sensitive from her heartbreak and a sensitive Sakura was a dangerous Sakura. So he complied without a fight.

Sakura immediately felt more calm as she busied herself taking care of patients and patrolling the different services. There was a ton of work to do and she liked to feel useful to people, to ease the pain of the wounded, to control the supplies or check the planning of the nurse. Actually she had been sure that her job almost always made her feel calmer until her ears caught the gossip of two nurses around the next corner.

"I heard Naruto-sama was here," said the first one. Sakura recognized the voice of the nurse that was completely head over heels for Naruto since that horrible morning. _That morning_. A shudder crept up her spine in the remembrance of the event.

"He's in Sakura-san's office, they arrived together..." the other one was informing her. It was true that Sakura was expecting the first one to visit her office too as all the rest of the female staff had done. _But wait... what was she implying with this conspiratorial tone?_

"Do you think they're dating each other?" The first one seemed completely devastated.

Sakura nearly jumped out to strangle those two as her blood was boiling. _How can they talk like that when she was still recovering from Sasuke's rejection?_ She wanted to smash them into small particles.

"She is so lucky!" whined the first one. "He's just so sexy and cool and … and so well endowed!" she blurted out.

Sakura felt all the blood in her body rush to her face. _Were they really talking about this part of her teammate's anatomy? Well, there was surely something to talk about_. But it felt wrong that they were so openly fantasizing about him. She should have come out from her hiding spot to defend her best friend's privacy, but the blood didn't want to leave her cheeks. It was a better choice to withdraw now as her face would have said the opposite of the truth in their dirty, distorted minds.

After two more hours of patient treatments, she finally went back to her office to find her best friend sleeping on his chair, his book on the floor; it seemed he fell asleep reading it. A ray of sun passing from the windows was landing directly on his face, giving him somewhat ethereal features. His blond hair caught the light of the astral orb, shining as if they were covered in gold. He was sleeping so soundly and his face was so peaceful that in this light he could have been mistaken for an angel. The said angel was awoken as someone came knocking at her office door. She was happy at that moment, that at least he did not wake up to her watching him. She could just imagine his sly comment about how good looking he was to make fun of her.

The woman came in bringing some sort of report and Sakura caught her stealing a glance at her blond teammate, who was stretching his arms over his head, making him look like a cat. The woman blushed just looking at him and that finished pissing Sakura off. She knew exactly what this nurse was imagining as she was looking at her best friend. After the gossip she'd overheard she wasn't surprised that this nurse had come running to her office at the first opportunity, and was now daydreaming about something really physical involving Naruto. Sakura dismissed her quickly so as to not give her the leisure to strip him with her eyes.

The object of desire of the whole female staff finally decided to move from his place. "Sakura-chan, how about we go get some food?"

"I am not hungry," she grumbled angrily without looking at him. He studied her for a few seconds and the smile in his eyes disappeared. She didn't see the change in his facial expression, but the concern in his voice told her that everything he had done was for her.

"You need to eat!" She glanced back at him and immediately regretted having made him worry. She should not lash out at him in all of her frustration. After all, he had kept his promise; he stayed very quiet the whole morning. She smiled a little to show him that he didn't need to be concerned for her and decided to try his kindness.

"OK, we can go eat but I get to decide what we eat..." she winked at him, "No ramen!"

"Ohh! Sakura-chan! You are so mean!" They both left the hospital together, but after lunch she forbade him from coming back, assuring him that she was fine without him as a babysitter.


	5. Chapter 5

**THANKS TO SAKIRA-HIME FOR BETA READING THE CHAPTER**

 **CHAP 5**

Days passed and Sasuke soon left the village again, and only Naruto was there to say goodbye. The night Sasuke left, Naruto found the object of his unrequited love outside his door, and just like the last time, he held her tightly to his chest. They'd spent the whole night like that; Sakura soaking his shirt in tears.

The weeks passed and the blond ninja kept a close eye on the head medic, just to make sure that she wasn't breaking down. He kept popping up for lunch or picking her up after work. If some believed that any feelings other than friendship existed, Sakura made a point to deny that her teammate was anything more than family: a brother and nothing more. Some might have believed her too happy that the sexy blond was single; others were more doubtful even if they did not say so out loud.

So the pinkette was not surprised to see him waiting for her one sunny afternoon outside hospital. She suspected him to have approached some nurse to find out about her schedule because he always knew exactly when she was free. He beamed at her, waving with his natural exuberance. She wondered what it was all about. He was even more excited than usual as he told her his plan. He wanted to bring the orphans to the river and he had requested the help of many of their friends to take care of the smaller children. After the war, he'd told her how he had often visited the orphans and played with them.

A few days ago, he managed to convince the director to let him take the children on an outing. As the Hero of Konoha, the older man didn't refuse but asked that Naruto found at least enough people to help take care of the kids. He was so pleased by his idea that she didn't have the heart to tell him that she was tired and just wanted to sleep, so she accepted.

That was how she found herself in front of the orphanage with Hinata, Hanabi, Tenten, Kiba and Akamaru, Choji, Lee and even Shikamaru. Naruto stood in the doorway and beckoned them inside, a child attached to each of his legs and one clinging to his back. Shikamaru mumbled "Troublesome," and winced when Tenten elbowed him in the ribs.

The group followed Naruto to a room where more kids came rushing out to meet them, some clambering onto Naruto.

"Naruto-niisan!" they joyously chorused. The director presented the shinobi to the orphans and one by one (some hesitant, some more warm), the kids approached the group of shinobi. One bolder than the others, stood in front of them.

"Is it true that you are Naruto-niichan's friends?"

Hinata crouched down before the small boy and answered with a sweet smile and a gentle nod, and ruffled his thick brown hair. The child beamed at her and jumped in her arms, burying his face in her ample bosom.

"I like you!" he sang. The young male shinobi frowned, more than a little envious of what the innocence of childhood would allow someone to do without being smacked upside the head.

After a few more minutes of warming up, the ninja and the group of orphans were in the forest, marching to the river nearby. A joyful atmosphere surrounded the group as many children ran around, amazed by the beauty of the forest and ecstatic at the thrill of being out with Konoha's elite shinobi. It was their first time out, as the orphanage didn't have enough people to organize any type of excursion. Naruto led the group, carrying a small girl in his arms who appeared to be glued to him, her small hands clutching his neck.

They arrived in a clearing not too long after, a branch of the river creating a small pool near a grouping of rocks, and blocking the normal flow of water. The place was ideal for children, with no current in the still, shallow water.

Shikamaru looked at his long-time friend, the boy had actually used his head and prepared the pool beforehand. He chuckled and went to lie down on the grass for some cloud gazing.

The young kunoichis helped the children take off their clothes while their teammates inflated all sorts of balls and floating toys that Naruto had carried in his bag. The young men didn't think twice about stripping off their clothes, each one of them quite comfortable in their swimming trunks. The girls were suddenly more self-conscious, except for Hanabi, who was already casually taking off her clothes.

A soon as Naruto had finished getting undressed, the little girl jumped back in his arms, snuggling her head in his neck.

"Naruto-niisan, will you marry me when I grow up?" the little girl asked sweetly. Naruto laughed at the childish wonder in her eyes.

"It would be my pleasure, little princess," he chuckled. "But I'll be so old by that time that you'll probably want a better looking husband." The little girl shook her head vigorously.

"I don't want any husband other than Naruto-niisan because Naruto-niisan is the kindest person I know!"

He smiled at her, continuing his walk toward the water.

"Well, we'll talk about that when you're be older, okay?" he asked, his voice gentle as he placed a tender kiss upon her head.

Hanabi lightly elbowed her sister ribs.

"Are you going to let a 5 year old girl get him or are you going to finally make your move?" she mumbled, just loud enough for Hinata to hear.

Hinata jumped, worried that someone might have heard Hanabi. She turned bright red, and began anxiously twisting her finger together, keeping her eyes on the ground. As if called by fate, the very man they'd been speaking of ran towards them, dripping from head to toe. His blond locks were plastered to his forehead and framed his cerulean eyes, his toothy smile showing just how much he was having playing around with the kids.

"Aren't you coming in?" he asked, gesturing to the river where the kids were jumping and splashing water at each other, some even seated on Akamaru as if he were a horse. Hinata looked at the man she loved and gathered her courage.

"I am!" she stated, bravely advancing toward the water with Hanabi in tow. Sakura glanced at Hinata seeing her taking off her large jacket to reveal her generous breasts in a lovely bikini. She would never be able to stand near Hinata without feeling utterly flat.

Naruto was still standing in front of Sakura and Tenten, smiling broadly. To his credit, he didn't try to ogle at Hinata as she was undressing, his eyes focused on the two girls in front of him.

"Come on! It'll be fun! I swear!" he insisted, grabbing both their arms and pulling them toward the water. His hand was icy cold from the water, and she jumped as though electrocuted when it wrapped around her wrist. Sakura didn't know why but she ended up punching him in the head. A few of the kids began to cry as they witnessed the scene.

"The lady is scary! She hurt Naruto-niisan!"

Naruto quickly recovered and plastered a grin on his face and ran toward the kids.

"She's not scary, we play like that all the time. Look! Look! I am not even hurt" he reassured them, jumping from one foot to another in an attempt to make them laugh. Then, he spotted Hinata again. It wasn't his fault. He was a man like any other.

In fact, he wasn't the only one looking: his other friends sported a small blush upon their cheeks to match his own. It was the first time in his life that he'd seen Hinata so... so undressed, and she was a perfect copy of his sexy-jutsu, the exception being that she was the real thing. His mouth felt terribly dry and he had to fight to unglue his eyes from her generous cleavage.

 _It's not good! It's not good!_ He told himself. He had to keep himself busy because nothing good could come from staring too long at a girl's breasts and he was sure Hinata's Gentle Fist would be more than painful. He dropped his eyes to the kids that were playing around him and gulped, feeling as though there were a rock that was stuck in his throat.

A few minutes later, the atmosphere became less awkward for the young men, as each one found their own technique to avoid their eyes dropping any lower than Hinata's face.

Hinata was somewhat disappointed that Naruto avoided eye contact with her. He was always spinning a kid around, diving with another one, disappearing to one side or the other whenever she plucked up the courage to get close to him. She sighed a little, not quite sure what she was to do.

Without warning, Hanabi snuck up behind her older sister and pushed her hard enough to make her stumble forward. Right into Naruto. Instinctively, Naruto threw his arms out to catch Hinata before she hit the ground. She ended up pressed against his torso, his hand securely around her waist to stop her fall.

It was all he needed. Even with the best intentions, he was just a typical young man, full of desire for a woman's body. His brain slowly processed the information: the softness of her breasts pressed against him, her slim waist in his hand. His cheeks went bright red, and his eyes flicked between her cleavage and her mouth, hanging half open in a small gasp.

He could feel the oncoming nosebleed, but before he could so much as blink, he was propelled through the air and landed in a heap on the ground. Kiba was on him in an instant, fist drawn back to punch again.

"Stop, Kiba-kun!" Hinata pleaded, rushing over to stop her teammate. "I am the one at fault! I fell on him and he just helped me."

Naruto held a hand to his nose, trying to stop the bleeding.

"I think you broke it, you idiot!" he exclaimed, his voice nasal and muffled by the blood.

Sakura relaxed her curled fist. If Kiba hadn't punched him, it would have been her chakra-charged fist that sent him clear across the forest, and hearing Hinata explain made her realize that he would have again been the victim of his own kindness.

 _But God! Why did his face have to turn bright red?_ The pang in her chest made her hand clench into a fist once more. But it was unfair on him; he had the right to find a girl as attractive as Hinata... Hinata was certainly every man's dream and- _and Hinata loved him too_. Another pang seized her chest but she refused to acknowledge it. He would be happy with Hinata. She looked at her feet. She should be happy to see him happy, too... She should... That was how they were together. A team. Supporting each other against all odds. She sighed and knelt beside him. After surveying the damage, she popped his nose back into place, using her chakra to speed up the process.

He looked at her sheepishly, and winced when she fixed his nose, immediately relaxing as the gentle stroke of her chakra eased the throbbing. It was her way of apologizing for the punch she'd given him earlier. When she finished, she gave him a light tap on the shoulder. "With that and Kurama, you should be completely healed tomorrow."

With that, she sauntered off, resuming her position beside Tenten.

Awoken from his cloud gazing by the commotion Kiba and Naruto made, Shikamaru witnessed the whole event.

"Troublesome," was his sole comment to himself before walking and sitting near Sakura and Tenten. He scratched his ear and didn't look at them as he spoke.

"You know, Naruto organized all this to cheer you up too, not just kids."

He inspected his fingernails and continued.

"He didn't need us to help take care of the kids. He's more than capable of making as many shadow clones as he wants..."

He let the sentence hang in the air a little longer, letting the weight of his words sink in, and resumed cleaning his ear for a few more seconds before he went on.

"Naruto and I met Hinata at Ichiraku the other day and he was asking how you were doing since Neji. He was truly concerned about you."

Tenten nodded her understanding. Shikamaru finally looked up at Sakura, locking eyes with her.

"And I suppose you already know that he was concerned about you too and that he wanted to cheer you up."

Sakura lowered her eyes, knowing too well all that her best friend had done for her sake.

"Well, you know what to do, girl! I am going back to some more cloud gazing... your stories are way too troublesome for me, I don't want to get stuck in the middle."

Tenten and Sakura glanced at each other and took off their clothes. They joined those already in the water and when Naruto spotted them, the beaming smile on his face was priceless. He ran toward them and caught them both, flipping all three of them into the cool water. The group of friends laughed endlessly. Everyone enjoyed themselves along with the kids. The afternoon turned out to be a great success for cheering the two girls and for the orphans. On the way back, Naruto offered to do it again sometime and eventually they did so on a regular basis. Once a month in between everyone's busy schedules.

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	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER CORRECTED THANKS TO SAKIRA-HIME**

 **CHAP 6**

The month passed with their respective routines, and the group of young ninja were still meeting on a regular basis for the orphans or just for eating all together. The heat of summer was replaced by clouds in the sky as the days of autumn settled in.

Sakura was grateful for the peaceful rhythm of her life now; everything was going back to the way it should. She was always busy and her heart was healing slowly. Days followed each other and the flow of war patients was rapidly thinning, relieving the pressure of her work. Step by step, everyone was healing. It would still be long before the scars of war would heal and disappear from the hearts of the people, but those who had survived the dark moments were holding onto life.

Sakura left the hospital sooner than usual that day and aimlessly wandered in the streets. She had to meet with her friends for dinner at the barbeque restaurant. The thought made her think of her blond teammate, who wouldn't be there that night. She had grown so accustomed to his constant presence on their days off, when he wasn't too busy training with Tsunade-shishou or with diplomatic missions where he followed Kakashi-sensei to prepare him to become the next Hokage.

She absently admired the stalls, wondering when they'd became so close. Since their first day as team 7, the blond boy had been around her, always there to save her from anything or anyone. She remembered how she called his name when they needed someone to save the village from Pein's attack. It'd become a habit of hers to turn to him when anyone needed to be saved and he had lived up to all her expectations; he'd never given up, holding on again and again, saving them, saving her again and again. He was certainly her most precious friend as she didn't even know what kind of state she would have been if he hadn't be there to support her.

She stopped in front of the weapons shop, looking to a set of finely made black kunai... In a few days, it would be his birthday and each member of their group was supposed to find a birthday gift that they could discuss tonight while Naruto was away. Generally, they just met up without any gifts involved for each of their birthdays. But the group had decided since the war that Naruto deserved at least one birthday that was not related to the death of his parents or the attack of the Nine Tails in the past. They had realized that thanks to Madara, Naruto had never had a happy birthday and hence his eighteen birthday was the best opportunity to change that.

XXXXX

The last few days before Naruto's birthday passed in the blink of an eye. Nervously, Sakura checked on the small red packet in her bag, ensuring she had the black kunai. Her idea was selected among them all and it made her feel strangely proud. She remembered Lee's idea to offer him green spandex outfit identical to his own was dismissed unanimously; Chōji and Kiba's idea of free food coupons to Ichiraku was well debated (until Shino reminded them that Naruto hardly ever paid for his own food at his favorite restaurant because everyone- including Old Man Ichiraku himself, kept paying his tab to show their gratitude to the 'Hero'), Hinata's idea of a new outfit was highly appreciated as well but Sai had made the interesting remark that he guessed that Naruto had been going through quite the growth spurt lately.

She realized vaguely that she'd had the same thought herself, given that she had to crane her neck more to meet his eyes nowadays. Ino's idea to offer him a date with the girl he wanted was ferociously refused by an over protective Kiba, but Sakura was more surprised to see the light in Ino eyes as she thought of Naruto as an eligible man.

Anyway, her idea of giving him kunais was seconded by Tenten and judged the safest and more useful gift for a ninja. That's how she ended up being responsible for the purchase and presentation of the gift to their guest of honor. She made her way to the barbeque restaurant where they'd all agreed to meet, to avoid any suspicions and keep the surprise, well, a surprise.

When she arrived, a lot of their friends were already seated together and the birthday boy, being surrounded by his friends, sat beaming. Almost every spot was taken, save for the seat directly in front of him, where she was subjected to the contagious power of his toothy smile. She hadn't seen him in two weeks, thanks to his diplomatic mission with Kakashi, meaning he'd only arrived home today.

With the end of the war and the need to reinforce ties between the Five Great Nations, Kakashi had had to take both Naruto and Shikamaru out of the village to accompany him. From what she'd heard from Tsunade, her shishou's new protégé was doing an excellent job as future Hokage. She'd added that if it were not for his lack of knowledge in some political affairs and his naivety, he would surely be named Hokage before his twentieth birthday thanks to his natural talent to bring people together.

As though summoned by Sakura's thoughts, the older woman suddenly appeared. She went straight to Naruto and ruffled his spiky blond hair. Tsunade ordered Lee to move to the left of the guest of honor and made herself comfortable, immediately yelling for a few bottles of sake.

"Come on, boy! You're finally old enough to drink with me!" she said cheerfully, clapping a hand to his back and laughing loudly as she served him a cup.

By the pink in her cheeks and her now overly-boisterous voice, the pinkette was sure that this wouldn't be her mentor's first cup of sake that evening. Naruto didn't have any other choice but to gulp the contents of his cup as the older woman practically forced it down his throat. He coughed, spluttering as the alcohol burned his throat. The older woman laughed and hit him hard on the back.

"Atta boy! Hahaha! You're a man now!" she declared, and served him another cup.

The last of their friends arrived then, Shikamaru and Kakashi being the last ones to join the party. Chōji, who was at Naruto's right side, stood and left his seat to the current Hokage out of respect and went to sit with Shikamaru. The atmosphere was festive and with the few drinks he'd had, Naruto was already out of control, laughing and speaking even louder than Tsunade. Their group attracted a lot of attention from the other customers; everyone wanted a glimpse of the Hokage and the Hero.

Once everyone had gathered, Sakura decided to pull out the gift before Naruto was completely gone. At the rate Tsunade was making him drink, her teammate wouldn't last long. Nobody had ever won a drinking contest against her shishou and she suspected that it was his first time drinking.

His eyes widened in surprise and he launched himself across the table and yanked her into a bone-crushing hug. Had he never received a gift like that? He was acting like a kid with his first Christmas gift. He was eighteen but in truth, to Sakura, he would always be the obnoxious kid she had grown up with.

Held prisoner in his tight embrace, she stammered an explanation that the gift was not only from her but from all of their friends. His smile grew impossibly wider and he released her, jumping from one to the next, hugging each of them in utter exuberance. How could such a simple gift make someone so happy? She didn't understand anything that went on in his head. Maybe the alcohol was a little to blame, but she was still pleased to see him that happy.

When he finished his gratitude lap three times around the table, he stopped suddenly, staring down at his gift. There was a mischievous glint in his eyes as he pulled out one of the kunai and glanced at Tsunade and Kakashi at the other side of the table. His hands flew through a series of signs and he threw the kunai past them. Everything happened so quickly: a whoosh of wind, a flash of yellow and then he stood behind the ex-Hokage and the Sixth, a smug grin on his face, showing everyone just how proud he was of himself for that jutsu. The two older ninja froze in surprise, eyes wide: Naruto had mastered Minato's Flying Raijin level 2 by himself.

They could always count on the number one hyperactive, knuckle-headed ninja to find the most unexpected way to show off his new skills. Kakashi applauded and proclaimed that there was a new 'Yellow Flash of the Leaf', remembering his late teacher's nickname. Naruto beamed and Tsunade caught him by the collar and forced him to his seat, offering him another cup to celebrate his new achievement.

The party continued, its attendants talking and laughing the whole way through. The birthday boy didn't need Tsunade pushing him to swallow another cup, he didn't even remember how many cups he'd but he didn't care. His glassy eyes looked up at Kakashi, the older man blurry and out of focus in his distorted state of consciousness. A drunken smile stretched his mouth as he leaned toward his former teacher, violating all sense of privacy. "Kakashi-sensei," he slurred, his face so close that they were practically nose to nose, forcing the gray haired man to lean as far away as he could.

"Why don't you show us what's under your mask?" Naruto hiccoughed, crawling toward Kakashi and extending his hand, barely brushing the dark blue fabric; the current object of his curiosity. There was something about the scene that was slightly erotic; not only for the fact that the image of Naruto's body hovering above Kakashi could easily have been an image of fantasy, but also the predatory way that the blond moved his body. It was almost feline, entrancing.

Upon hearing few gushing and giggling of the other female patrons, the former Hokage decided to put an end to the inappropriate display to protect Kakashi's reputation as well as that of his successor. Grabbing the young man by the collar, she hauled back.

"Tch, I'll have to teach him how to drink... he has no resistance at all," she mumbled to herself. She took hold of his jaw and forced his eyes to meet hers, and was immediately able to see that the idiot was too far too gone.

"Well, we lost the kid," she stated.

"Anyone wanna volunteer to drag him back home safely?"

Sakura stood up and offered to take him, as his teammate, she said it was her responsibility. Tsunade released Naruto's collar and he stumbled. Sakura grabbed his arm and pulled him outside.

She hauled his arm over her shoulder to support him and everything went more or less smoothly considering his drunken state. After all, he was just overly happy, though he did behave strangely. He would nuzzle his nose in her hair out of nowhere every few minutes. She opened the door of his flat and put the light on, deciding to help him out of his shoes before he injured himself.

She turned to face him and paused. Something in his eyes had changed completely. A shudder traveled down her spine. There was something feral in her teammate's bright blue eyes, and he watched her in a way she'd never seen.

It happened so quickly. One second, she was staring at the animal power in his eyes, the next she found her back flat against the wall, his body enclosing hers like a cage, an arm on each side of her face, blocking any means of escape. She gasped, her eyes snapping back to his to ask what the hell he was doing, but her voice died in her throat. _His eyes... his glassy, hungry eyes._

Those eyes took her breath away, punched the air straight out of her. There was so much power in those eyes, there was such magnetism emanating from every inch of him that she shivered involuntarily. It wasn't very different from how he'd looked at Kakashi, except it was far worse, because she was the one on the receiving end of Naruto's animalistic stare. She tried to look away, tried to break the spell he held her under, to ask him to stop kidding. It wasn't funny, and she tried laughing a little to shatter the tense atmosphere, make it less terrifying.

His large, warm hand slid along her neck, sending a jolt of electricity through her, and with one finger, he lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his burning gaze. Her heart raced. This was not Naruto. There was too much fire in him to be Naruto. She was petrified. He was too close, she could smell the alcohol on his breath.

She pressed a hand to his chest to push him away but he didn't budge an inch, his gaze piercing her, stealing away all her strength. Maybe she shouldn't have had anything to drink. There had to be alcohol in her system for her body to play such a treacherous trick on her. How long they were suspended in time, him radiating that animalistic magnetism and her cornered against him, she didn't know. She couldn't make herself move. She was paralysed.

Suddenly, the spell broke and he dove for her mouth, his hungry lips pressing against hers. It was sloppy. He was forceful and passionate, and she found she hadn't the mean nor the will to defend herself against the assault. She surrendered, allowing his tongue to invade her mouth. She knew it was bad, that Naruto wasn't aware of what he was doing. She knew that they weren't supposed to do this, but... but she found she was unable to fight back. This was not her fault. He was terrifying, erotically terrifying.

He was so different, and it actually scared her, but she didn't really know why. He was the only person who knew her as well as she did. He kissed her with a ferocity strong enough to make her see stars, and the way he pressed his body to hers sent tingles through her veins. She could feel her knees turn to jelly. She didn't know the man who held her now. She began losing herself in the scorching fire of his hands on her body. He slowly ground his hips against hers, a bubble of lava erupting in her core as she felt his long length against her.

There was something evil in the way he moved his hips so languidly. It was maddeningly sexy. He left her panting when he finally broke the kiss. At that point, her hands were gripping his shirt more than pushing him away. But he hadn't had enough and he lunged for her lips once more. This kiss was more demanding, more frenzied and urgent.

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	7. Chapter 7

**_CHAPTER CORRECTED THANKS TO SAKIRA-HIME (Beta reader)_**

 ** _This chapter is for the people named Guest that were nice enought to review. If i didn't have all the story written, i would have certainly not write it. But because it is done, it is my gift for your kindness, to share it with you. If you have a account, i could share it exclusivly with you guys via PM._**

 ** _Thank you!_**

 _Previous chapter:_

 _At Naruto's 18 Birthday, all his friends surprised him with a gift. Tsunade made him drink with her telling him he was a man now. Sakura brought him back totally drunk to his place and he begun a dangerous kissing cession._

 **CHAP 7**

He moved toward his bed, pulling her along with him and she let him lead her. He was truly intoxicating. Her head was spinning and her body pliant beneath his searching hands. His hands seared her skin where skin met skin. The way he kiss her left no room in her mind for any logical thought. She didn't stand a chance against his passionate burning. His body was so warm against her, so strong... so sensual.

The kiss stopped when they collapsed on the mattress. In fact, everything stopped at that moment; his mouth abandoned hers, his hands released her and she heard a light snore. She could not believe it. He felt asleep on her! She rolled him over to free herself from the weight of his body. He was sleeping like the dead and a part of her, even though she would never admit it to anyone, was overwhelmingly frustrated by this turn of events. She wanted to punch him into a coma but decided it was against her better judgment. She wasn't sure she was in enough control to withstand this… wild version of Naruto.

Honestly, what on earth happened to her best friend? Did the alcohol have that negative an effect on him? She'd known that Lee wasn't even allowed to sniff alcohol because he went berserk every time he so much as sipped it. Maybe Naruto should be forbidden too. Regardless, she wasn't going to stay here to test the any theories right then. She left his apartment, running as fast as she could to put as much distance as possible between them.

She arrived and went directly to her bathroom. She needed a cold shower; her body was in total confusion. She walked past her mirror and froze. Blinking at her reflection, she noticed an angry red mark blooming on the pale skin of her neck. She blanched. What? When did that little pervert mark her? She couldn't remember anything through the haze. Using a small amount of healing chakra, she quickly erased the love bite and she jumped under the soothing spray of the cold water. She scrubbed herself until her skin was raw, as if she'd somehow remove the inappropriate thoughts and that horrible tingling sensation all over her body, still lingering from his touch. She didn't want to think about that. She couldn't think about that. She stayed in the shower for a long while, hoping it would cool her body, and when she thought she was finally calm enough, she went to bed, itching to sleep and forget the entire evening.

As she should have expected, she didn't get a wink of sleep the whole night, images and fantasies about her teammate haunting her foggy brain. And worst of all, she'd caught a cold thanks to her cold shower. She'd not caught a single cold since she was child. But here she was, stuck in bed with a raging fever and a red, puffy, running nose. She should have been able to heal herself easily, but she wasn't in her right mind to deal with a day of work. So she used it as an excuse to justify a day spent in bed. She was exhausted and just wanted some peace to and quiet so that she could finally sleep. She needed... she needed to erase her memory, stop the constant flow of images... if only the fever could distract her somehow, she would be glad to keep it for few days.

Later that day, she was still tossing and turning in her bed, unable to sleep when she heard a light knock on her window and an all too familiar voice calling for her. She grunted an unapologetic "Go away!" but it wouldn't work on his usual persistence. So she resigned herself and got up to face the source of her insomnia. There he was, standing near the open window with his trademark grin, as though nothing had happened between them. Maybe he didn't remember...?

"What are you doing here? And can't you be like normal people and go through the front door?" she grunted, her foul mood only worsening as she massaged her throbbing temples. He looked taken a back.

"The front door?" he repeated incredulously. "Hehe, I don't think your parents would let me come in." He seemed uncomfortable. "They never let me come near you when we were kids," he finished, his eyes trained on his feet.

She'd known that her parents had once been among those who once called him 'Demon Fox Child', but he wasn't anymore, not in their eyes nor in the eyes of the villagers.

"I'm sure they will let you in," she stated, fastening the belt on her robe around her thin body, her thoughts suddenly wandering in a different direction. He was in her bedroom.

His head snapped up, all smiles again.

"Really?" was his unsure but excited answer.

"Yeah, sure! Now, go away!" She shoved him out. He didn't resist, and it was a bit too easy to get rid of him this time. Only when she reached her bed did she realize something.

"What was he here for?" she muttered to herself.

The sound of the doorbell told her that he hadn't left at all. He'd just did as she'd said, and went through the front door. She sighed. This was worse! Her mother knocked on the bedroom door, informing her of her visitor before opening. Sakura saw him standing behind her mother with a huge grin on his face, looking for all the world like he'd won the damn lottery, and greeted her cheerfully.

"Hello, Sakura-chan! I heard at the hospital that you were sick, so I came to see if I could try to help."

She wanted to smack her forehead and hide under her covers until this nightmare was over but there was no escape. Her mother stepped aside for him to enter and he fidgeted, not used to all the attention.

He came to sit at the edge of her bed and she blushed stupidly, still not able to look him in the eye.

"You should leave!" she warned. "You could catch my cold."

She pointed at her red nose, hoping that it would convince him to leave as soon as possible. But he brushed her words off with a smile, telling her that he'd never caught a cold.

A part of her needed to know about... about yesterday... about what was going on between them. A bead of sweat ran down her temple. His eyes widened in concern and put a hand on her forehead.

"Your fever seems really bad," he noted innocently. She jerked at the contact, keeping a naturally defensive distance from him. She knew that she had overreacted and suddenly felt terribly awkward. She struggled to ease the tension and her cunning mind brought her directly to the subject of the night before.

"How about yesterday?" she asked, as if their current situation wasn't already bad enough for her poor brain...

"Oooh, thank you so much for the gift and the party! It was the best birthday ever!" He beamed, bouncing subtly from excitement. He seemed so natural, back to his usual self.

"I wanted to thank people more but I don't remember if I've done it properly."

"What do you mean? You don't remember?" she pressed, fishing for information.

He rubbed his neck with his hand, his traditional gesture of embarrassment, and blushed slightly.

"I was a bit too drunk," he confessed. "I don't even remembered how I got home, I just woke up in my bed with my shoes on."

"You don't remember anything at all?"

Her heart fluttered between relief and disappointment. Why would she be disappointed? It was for the best, she scolded herself. He was back to himself, that was all that mattered.

"I remember that you gave me this awesome gift... and we laughed a lot... and Baa-chan kept pouring me sake..." He frowned, trying to recollect more shattered memories from the previous night.

"And?" she asked hesitantly.

"Actually I don't remember much after that... but it was the best birthday ever! Everyone was here and you gave me a present... I never got anything for my birthday, so this was a surprise. I was so happy!" he replied.

"Oh..."

She had guessed right. He'd never had a real birthday. She felt bad for all those years that she neglected him and hadn't even realized that he was always alone for his birthday. That he'd been shunned by everyone, herself included.

His face shifted again, frowning in concern: he must have misinterpreted her silence as a sign of her illness. He put his hand on her forehead again and made her even more jumpy.

"I'll help you get better." he informed her with a tender smile. She tried to protest but the sudden glare he gave her meant he wouldn't change his mind.

So there she was, feeling her body heat by the second at having him so close. She held her breath, afraid that he might somehow guess the real reason for the furious flush on her cheeks. But fortunately for her, he seemed not to notice. His skin glowed as he slipped into six path sage mode and she felt it. She felt it; the incredible sensation of peace. No healing chakra could compare to his. It was so pure, so bright, and so warm... just like him.

Instinctively she closed her eyes and relaxed beneath his touch. She felt good, like she was lying in a green field, surrounded by thousands of multi-coloured flowers on a sunny summer day, a heaven. The glow stopped and he helped her settle on her pillow. She instantly fell asleep. He looked at her tenderly, wanting to caress her lovely pink cheeks with every fibre in his body. After a short moment, he decided to leave before getting himself in trouble for being discovered watching her sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER CORRECTED THANKS TO INUGIRL504**

 **SORRY FOR THE LONG DELAY... My computer died, destroying at the same time my work. It was hard to recover most of it. I will try to rewrite the part that have been erased as much as i remember it.**

 **Special thanks for the persons that have write me a review. I hope that you will continue to like the story and give me your comments.**

XXXX

CHAP 8

Again, life didn't wait for anyone. Everything went back to normal more or less smoothly. To be honest, she didn't see him much after his birthday as he was always busy with his Hokage training and that was helping her a lot to keep in check a dirty mind.

It was the beginning of December and she was seated in a small tea shop with Ino. Both of them didn't have work that afternoon and the pinkette thought it would be a good idea to hang out with her friend and rival. The years were fair to the blond-haired girl and she enjoyed the attention of the males that were glancing at her. She fluttered her eyelashes when the waiter came to bring their tea and the poor young man blushed from head to toe at the gesture of the blond woman.

"You shouldn't be doing that!" Sakura scolded her that earned her a frank laugh from the blond in front of her.

"It's part of the job of a kunoichi to learn the art of seduction" The blond retorted humorously. "You should learn from me, it's a free lesson... maybe then, you will be able to kiss someone before you turn twenty" she challenged, implying that she was more advanced than her in that matter.

Sakura was fuming at the challenge."I've already kissed!" she blurted out without thinking in front of the number one gossip and the new add to the elite information extortion group.

The blond did not miss the opportunity to make fun of her innocent friend."I don't talk about a mouth-to-mouth to give air to a patient... that doesn't count" she teased.

Sakura wanted so much to shut her down that she had kissed a boy but it was safer to keep this secret for herself. She was sure that her friend would pry too much and ask questions that she didn't want to think of.

Ino glanced to the constricted face of the pinkette and exclaimed: "So you really have kissed someone!" It was such a good gossip, she couldn't let it go. "Who?" she asked excitedly.

The pinkette closed her mouth in a thin line as sign that she would not talk and she realized the power of her friend. "No mind reading!" Sakura half screamed at the carnivorous smile of her friend. She would be dead ashamed if Ino pry into her head and fell into that precise memory of her first kiss.

The blond pouted crossing her arms in front of her breast. "So are you gonna tell me! I am your best friend!" she pressured her to obtain some information.

Sakura focused on her tea cup. She did not want to remember that night, even more that the other participant had any memory of it. "Can we talk about something else?" the pinkette pleaded honestly.

Ino studied her face. Maybe the boy was Sasuke and still connected to the pain of his departure. It was time to make her stop mourning over a ghost. "Well... Maybe you should find yourself a suitable boyfriend. You know, I am sure there is one or two interns at the hospital that would gladly give you the charity to date you" She smiled knowingly "What his name?... the new one that arrived last month."

Sakura glanced at her. That smelled the trap. "Hikaru" she said hesitantly.

"That's him! Hikaru, the dark-haired, good looking, quiet man." She scratched her chin trying to find other appeal. "I suppose he is intelligent if he managed to become an intern and he is head over heels for you." she pointed her finger at the pinkette in front.

The said girl sighed. "Please, leave my love life in peace. I have no time for that. I am the head medic, I can't date my subordinate. You should find yourself a boyfriend instead of bothering me!" Sakura grunted.

The malicious glint in the blue pale eyes and the smirk of victory told her, that it was not out of kindness that the blond have been turning around the boyfriend subject. "I have one!" Ino state victoriously.

Her curiosity got picked and the pinkette mumbled "Who?" before thinking that it was her loss to ask the question instead of showing indifference.

"Your teammate!" was the blond proud answer and from the shock, the pinkette knocked over her cup of tea.

"Naruto?" Sakura gasped incredulously.

"No! Well, he would have been a good catch but he is out of reach for me, I have been too mean to him when we were kids... Anyway! I am dating Sai now" She gleefully informed her friend. The pinkette looked blankly at her friend. She was feeling relieved that it was Sai.

"But talking about your other teammate..." Ino began innocently too glad to have fresh news to share "I heard that Naruto went with Tsunade for some solo diplomatic mission for the Hokage in the land of Mist and the boy earned a lot of attention. I heard that the Mitsukage tried to get into his pants now that he was off age and it's only with force that Tsunade-sama freed him from the other woman grip. Can you believe it? Naruto... our Naruto." She laughed gleefully at her own gossip. "It is true that he had gain a lot of popularity since the war and I would prefer him end up in a relationship with someone from here, than some other faraway lousy woman. Hinata had candy eyes for him since we were kids and she planned to go all out to have him".

Naruto with Hinata... It hurts, but she had known since Pein's attack that the Hyuga heiress was ready to die for Naruto. She heard that she already confessed at that time. But she didn't think more about it, her teammate didn't make any comment on that and didn't date her. They were on war and he was the target. But now... now they were at peace, and she was the perfect girl for him. Sakura thought for herself that he had stopped completely asking her for date since years now and that he even refused her love confession when she tried to assassinate Sasuke. She certainly had been too mean to him too. He stopped pursuing Sasuke for her. He have done it just for Sasuke he had told her. Maybe his 'love' for her as Sai told her, was just related to his rivalry with Sasuke, a childish quest that died down when he retrieved their team member. But now, imagining Naruto with another woman... Her best friend with another woman... felt somewhat wrong.

Ino scrutinized Sakura, her pensive state. She was so tempted to pry for her thoughts. Sakura glanced up to the blonde. This was bad."Yeah, so I think my congratulation are required!" the pinkette exclaimed with a false enthusiasm "Since when are you two dating?" she asked.

XXXXXXX

Few days later, She found herself seated at Ichiraku with her two teammates. She had wanted to avoid meeting with Naruto for her peace of mind, but the persistent blond had reminded her that the three never get the chance to get together between their respective jobs. So she accepted and in someway, it was good. They were just like before. It was heartwarming to have those kinds of moments together. That made her feel calmer and that she over-thought the whole ordeal with Naruto. He was her best friend and the same boy. Nothing will change that.

Naruto was finishing his fourth Ramen when Tsunade appeared behind them. He looked over his shoulder at the older woman, a questioning look on his face.

"Baa-Chan?"

"Naruto, can you give me a hand for something?"

Her sweet tone should have put him on alert. "Yeah! For sure! What can I do for you Baa-chan?" he asked good naturedly.

"I need you to have dinner with the daughter of an important merchant" she asked.

"I don't date girls for fun!" he responded bluntly, turning around toward the counter to order another Ramen. But the older woman did not accept defeat that fast and strangled him with an arm lock.

"You shitty brat! This is how you repay my kindness! You will date her or I will make your life a living hell!" the older woman threatened him. Incapable of talking with the ferocious arm lock he just vaguely nodded. Tsunade smirked for her victory and glanced at his two teammates. They can be useful. "You two come with me too! It will be a mission for team 7... an S-rank mission!" she ordered.

Tsunade half dragged him to her house to be sure he didn't escape. She was living in a calm part of the village, in a old, traditional Japanese style house with a small pond in the backyard. The three shinobi stood straight at attention in front of the former Hokage. Her face all serious, scrutinized the blond man, the object of her bet loss and after at his two teammate. Authoritatively, she explained their 'mission'.

"We have to make him presentable for the event. So we will need a proper attire for him as I'm sure that all he has is orange. Naruto get ready. Sai, you will draw the outfit I tell you. And Sakura, you will help me with the measure."

She began to describe what she wanted to Sai and glanced at the blond that did not move. "What do you wait? Undress!" she ordered.

He flinched, hue of pink hovering over his cheeks. "But Baa-chan..." he tried to contest and she cut him straight.

"Why are you suddenly shy for? Those two have certainly seen you naked more than once! He's a guy and she's the head medic that kept treating you all those years. Now undress or should I make you undress by force?"

The threat in her voice was clear and he gulped down sending a sideway glance to the pinkette nearby him. Sakura was nice enough to focus her attention on a picture on the wall.

He took off his jacket, his tee-shirt and hesitate before taking off his tracksuit pants. The glare that Tsunade gave him told him that if he didn't do it he would finish completely naked. 'It's not much different than when I am in my swim-trunks.' he told himself and got more confident to stand straight. When he was finished, the older woman sent, flying to Sakura, a measuring tape.

"We need the distance between his shoulder, the size of his neck, chest, waist, hips, and the distance of his arms and legs" Tsunade informed her disciple. Sakura got embarrassed and positioned herself behind him to hide her face.

The pinkette realized how much taller he was now. He was nearly a foot taller than her. She stretched her hand and carefully passed the meter around his neck. Her fingers were cold against his skin and he shivered with the touch. Some butterflies were bubbling in his stomach and he was torn between enjoying the treatment and going into meditation mode to avoid any major problems with his body over-reacting to Sakura. He closed his eyes and he felt her fingers touch the tips of his shoulder. it was so tempting, it would not be easy to concentrate with this type of ministration.

The girl behind him wasn't much better than he was with her own inner turmoil. _OK! she admitted it! She admitted it! She was attracted by her best friend._ But damn! When did he grown up that much? He was still a brat the last time she checked, no?

The more she was moving down to continue with her measurement the more uncomfortable she felt. She was really careful while passing her arms around him to catch the other part of the tape but, inevitably, there was always a small brush of skin here and there. She was too self conscious that now her hands were around his hips and that her face was just to close of his perfect toned butt. She gulped down and took the last measurement but not the easiest, the in-between legs. She have been very close of his skin many time in her life, too many times in fact with all the wounds he got for himself. Her hands never wavered doing her job, but she was in the security of her medic-nin job, there was nothing but medical issue. Now, her hands trembled slightly approaching his crotch, very conscious to not touch it. But she didn't need to touch him to feel the warmth radiating from his body. She bit her lips and focused on the number, the last number and the torture would be done.

Sakura stood up again, using his body as a shield to cover her face the time she got back in-check her emotions. She looked up at him. He had close his eyes and was perfectly fine. She was a little hurt that she got absolutely no effect on him. Far away was the time when the brat would come and chase after her for a date. He had grown up. They had grown up. Their emotions changing so much as well as their body. At least they were still best friends and she would cherish this bond with him forever.

The pinkette turned around him to walk toward Tsunade and he didn't move a inch. He stood still, his arms wide open for the measurement, immobile like a perfect statue. She smiled. 'Where was the boy that couldn't stay in place more than three minutes?' She felt a little nostalgic, time was passing so fast. She gave her paper to the older woman and glanced up to Sai drawing. It was a perfect full portrait of him in his outfit. She nearly wanted to ask the artist for the drawing afterward but she was too afraid of the teasing or worse that he repeat it to Ino.

Tsunade interrupted her train of thought as she asked Sai to bring the drawing and the measure to the tailor. The pale man nodded and the same way the ANBU did, he disappeared in a second. The older woman turned her attention to the still immobile man and came closer to him to scrutinized his face.

"Hmm, what can we do with him?" the older woman mused half for herself turning his face from one side to the other holding on his chin. She ruffled his messy hair and he finally decided to crack open one eye.

"I don't like that smirk on you Baa-Chan" Naruto commented and Tsunade smacked up his head with her fist.

"Don't say that you shitty brat when I am kind enough to take care of your case!"

He took a step back, knowing all too well, that nothing good could come from that type of smirk. He looked over his shoulder. It was cold outside but he could still escape from the window. Everything went super fast. He turned around at the same moment Tsunade caught the waistband of his underwear while ordering Sakura to stop him. And she did, surprising well. Her body moved of its own accord at her master's order. And she was there, her arms tightly surrounding him with a fierce grip, while her master prevented him from escaping in the first place, holding the last part of his privacy.

He was stuck. And if the girl holding him so tightly didn't removed her arms and body pressed against him soon, he would be dead too. His snake was awaking from his slumber and with only his underwear on, it was impossible to hide. So he surrendered. Naruto Uzumaki surrendered completely to the former Hokage. Sakura and the older woman released him and he opted to seat on the tatami, closing his eyes again. He would let her do what she planned to do. He felt the brush passing through his hair, pushing it in one direction. Tsunade ruffled it again and pushed it in another direction.

"This mess could never be tamed!" Tsunade mumbled and he smiled happy to give her some more difficulty whatever her plan was, but his smile vanished when he heard her ask Sakura for a pair of scissors.

Sakura brought her the pair of scissors, but intervened:" Is it really ok to cut his hair?"

The serious firm look of her master told her that her purpose was deeper. "It will be good for his Hokage image to leave his heavy resemblance with the fourth Hokage and step away from this shadow... He climbed here by himself, so he has the right to exist in front of everyone as his own success. Can you imagine having two identical faces sculpted into the Hokage monument?" Tsunade explained to the pinkette to make her release the scissors.

He felt it, the blond curl falling from his head. He felt another one and another one without moving an inch. He didn't care! His look never attracted Sakura anyway, so he could look just whatever the former Hokage wanted, it didn't matter to him. When the older woman finished with him, she took hold of his chin to scrutinized his face again, a wider smile stretching on her lips. He was handsome! The shorter hair accentuate his masculine jaw and the fine shape of his face. He may have gotten his hair and eyes from his father, but he got the refined beauty of his face from his mother.

"Go get a shower! And be sure to scrub well!" she ordered him with a little motherly tone.

Sakura didn't say anything the whole time. She felt her heart tighten up at the curls falling around him. It was like the sun itself got trimmed from his ray of light. She wanted so much to stop Tsunade-shishou. His messy hair was part of him! His messy hair was how she always had know him, her master couldn't cut them. Another curl fell covering the floor like some golden threads. It was finish and when he opened his cerulean blue eyes, she didn't know what to think of him anymore. It was like she had witnessed her best friend pass from the brat she knew to a very different man. His eyes seemed bigger now that they were freed from the golden crown of hair. His face more masculine and refined. He lifted expectant eyes toward her, certainly hoping for some reassuring words but she was way too shocked to say anything. So he left to the shower room like ordered without a word exchanged.

Sai reappeared with a bag few minutes after only. Tsunade glanced up to the ANBU Elite that was standing by her door. She didn't move from her spot near the window and just asked him to bring the bag to the shower room for Naruto to try it. Sai nodded and with feet as light as a cat, he walked through the corridor to reach the bathroom. Tsunade returned to her previous position looking at the garden, drinking a cup of tea with her apprentice. The woman said nothing for a while. She had known her apprentice was ready to stop her, ferociously against her choice to cut his hair. She saw her clenching her fist, but she didn't say anything, not even when it was finished. She was just strangely mute. Was Sakura angry? The former Hokage caught the reflection of her guest of honor in the window and jumped to take a look at the real thing. He was fabulous!

The sudden movement made Sakura snap out from her inner musing and followed with her eyes her master. She saw him, in his black garment, the cut of fabric embracing his lean and toned body, accentuating his wide shoulder and his V-shaped body. Discreet power and force oozing from his figure. This was not him! But the cerulean blue eyes were the same, looking straight at her with expectation. She gaped like a fish, lost for words. Fortunately, his attention got distracted by the older woman turning around him to inspect every aspect of the young man. Tsunade stopped just under his nose, a very satisfied smile on the face.

"My, my.. With some polishing, you are a very fine piece of man. I should have asked more for your head..."

Naruto frowned at her comment. "This is the last time you sell me out! I'm not a product to sell, you know"

Tsunade punched his head unceremoniously. "Listen boy! This is your job...You will play the perfect gentleman, you smile and make everyone happy so that the daddy will be pleased to do business with us. Do I make myself clear?" she threatened him. "Not everything is about getting resolve by force, think of it as part of your training to understand some play of politics"

He pouted but nodded anyway. He had made the agreement to follow her teaching and do whatever it takes. 'I will become the best Hokage ever!'

After that, Tsunade explained to him different aspects of economics and politics related to this family. She told him what he should do, what he should say, how he should act, what information he should find. Sakura listened to the conversation. If she hadn't know that this dinner was organized for her bet loss... she would have thought that it was a trap on purpose to the merchant to fish for information and get some business done.

The former Hokage readjusted his collar before letting him go. "And do not drink!" she ordered "You're not able to have alcohol yet... I don't want you to make a fool of yourself."

He flinched. "What did I do?" he inquired.

The older woman patted his shoulder. "If nobody has told you, it's because it's better for you to not know."

He looked at Sai and Sakura, both gave him a apologetic smile. Sakura internally thanked Tsunade for her last recommendation, she couldn't imagine the damage that could cause this version of a drunken Naruto.

XXXXX

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	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER CORRECTED THANKS TO LITTERATURE AND LOVE FOR HER BETA READING WORK**

 _Thanks to Troa for your support. I am so glad to read your review. As you had guess, there is some drama coming. I hope you will continue to like my story._

 _For those that are interested, i began a new story: Dangerous infiltration mission. I don't know yet, where it will go. It depend partially of how it is received by the reader. I am just at the beginning, so i wonder if i continue._

 _s/12220982/1/Dangerous-infiltration-mission_

 _Do not hesitate to review! I am truly wondering what the reader think of it. Already writting a story in my usual langage is not easy, but writting a story in a foreign language is even more difficult. I really wish to know if it was ok or a waste of time._

 **XXXXXX**

 **CHAP 9**

Sakura was eaten by curiosity. She had spent the whole night wondering how his dinner date had gone with the merchant's daughter. This version of Naruto was leaving her restless. _I have to focus_ , she scolded herself, finishing her last report for the Hokage.

A knock on the door made her lift her head from the document she tried to work on. A dark haired man appeared at the entrance of her office. He smiled at her and came closer at her command to deliver his scroll for his department. He scratched his head in embarrassment, looking at the pinkette already reading the scroll without paying him any attention.

"Hmm, Haruno-san, I was wondering if you... if we could get lunch together?" he stuttered hesitantly.

The pinkette looked at him. _Ino may be right. He is_ _interested in me_ _._

How come she was so blind to all the men that were interested in her. Hikaru-san sure was nice, but right now, it was impossible. Her life was a mess because of her so called best friend to whom she finally discovered she was attracted to.

"Thank you Hikaru-san. I have to deliver this report to the Hokage today and I will be out after that. So not today sorry," Sakura excused herself.

The black haired man smiled amiably at her, accepting her excuse and left her office. The head medic stared at the door after he left. Her life was too much of a mess.

Later, she went to deliver her report to her old teacher. The gray-haired man was bored as hell with all his paperwork. He sighed and complained to her.

"I wish the kid could already become Hokage... this job isn't for me! It's so out of character."

She laughed and dropped her share of work. "I have heard that he's doing a lot of your work as training, so you shouldn't complain so much. He's working hard, he's so eager to take your spot."

The older man looked at the add of work and pulled out a scroll from his drawer. "Can you give this mission scroll to Naruto? I think he is at his apartment," he asked. Kakashi extended his hand for her to take the assigned mission scroll.

"Do you think that I'm a delivering service?" she joked.

"Ah sorry! Sorry! Is it a bother? I could ask an ANBU.." the Hokage trailed off but she interrupted him, taking the scroll.

"No it's fine! If he has to go again on a mission soon, I should pay him a visit before he leaves."

She strolled in the street leading to his condo. This scroll was the perfect excuse to pass by and discover how his 'dinner' went. She jumped the stairs block by block, eager to arrive fast and stopped in the middle of them. It could be a good way to surprise him by popping up through the window like he always did to her. She changed direction and landed gracefully on the next rooftop.

She arrived at his window and saw him on the floor, doing some work out... shirtless. Some beads of sweat were running down his torso. Sakura found it fascinating to follow the course of one little drop of water sliding from his neck to his chiseled chest and continuing on to his perfectly toned abs before disappearing in the waist band of his shorts. Her eyes snapped back to the blond's face ; Naruto hadn't noticed her, too focused on his exercises, crunching his body from side to side to contract his abs. It wasn't good to stay looking at him like that, so she decided to make her presence known by knocking on the window. The blond looked up and smiled his eternal trademark grin. Warmth spread to her vein when she saw this smile, making her forget the biting cold of Konoha's winter. He stood up and opened his window.

"Come in! Come in!" he invited her, as cheerful as usual. "It is cold outside! Do you want some tea?" The blond offered.

She made herself at home, taking off her shoes at the window and abandoning her over-coat on his bed. He stood in his little kitchen, preparing the tea. She sat at his small table, frowning upon seeing two instant ramen cups.

"When will you quit eating instant ramen? You need to eat other stuff like vegetables!" she scolded him. He laughed good naturedly, bringing back the two tea cups.

"You made me think of my mom, you know." His expression softened as he remembered his only encounter with his mother. "She too told me to eat a lot of vegetables and to not be picky with my food..." Naruto smiled fondly at the memory.

"May be I can teach you to cook something healthy for yourself someday," Sakura offered, earning a bright smile from him.

She was staring too much at him. She needed a diversion. The scroll. She pulled it out of her bag. "Kakashi-sensei asked me to bring you this."

He extended his hand and their fingers brushed, a jolt of electricity passing through them. He instinctively scratched the back of his head in his usual embarrassed gesture only to realize that his locks were missing. He was still not used to having his hair cut short and stopped mid-movement. Sakura looked at him and gave him the feed-back she should have given him yesterday.

"It looks good on you... Your hair," she hesitantly said.

She felt shy under his gaze, so she dropped her eyes to her cup of tea, taking a sip of the hot beverage.

"You think so?" he asked, unsure, his heart throbbing in his chest.

One word from this girl was as always able to change his whole world. He didn't like it when he saw his reflection at first in the mirror, it was strange to him. But Sakura said that she liked it, so now he was feeling a bubble of happiness bursting through him. The pinkette kept her eyes on her cup, searching for words to describe him, words that were correct to say to her best friend.

"You look somewhat... more mature," she attempted.

It was official, he loved his new hair cut.

She glanced up at him. His smile was intoxicating.

"So what's the mission?" she asked in order to return to safer grounds.

He opened the scroll and read it quickly. "An invitation from the Sand for the end of the month. They want to invite me as a friend and representative of Konoha... Shikamaru will be happy to spend the new year with his new girlfriend," Naruto said, realizing afterward that he had said too much. The blond glanced at her, eyes wide open. "Can you forget that last part? Nobody is supposed to know. And especially not Ino... Shikamaru made me swear to not tell her." He was truly embarrassed and confused.

Sakura smirked "What do I get in exchange for my silence?" she teased him.

"Huh? What do you want?" Naruto hadn't expected that from Sakura. Maybe she needed a punching ball to vent out some of the stress from work, and with her being so strong, there weren't many people who could match her in strength.

"Do you want to go for a training session?"he tried.

Sakura wanted a lot of things from him, but training was not on the top of her list. She pondered an instant and threw away her not so innocent idea. Just spending some time with him was enough.

"Training is a good idea! I need some exercise."

He smiled. "It's a deal! Let me put some clothes on and we can go."

The training fields were all covered with a thin white coat of snow. Their feet were leaving prints with a crunching sound. Naruto stepped back and gathered some of the white flakes in his hand to form a ball before throwing it at his teammate. Sakura received it straight in the back of her head and turned towards him an angry glare. He couldn't keep it up anymore and a laugh exploded in his throat. She gathered an even bigger ball while he was busy laughing and hit him in the face.

After that, they were like two kids playing around and running after each other. _It is so good to be together and to laugh so easily. Some things never change,_ she thought . She was catching her breath, hiding behind a tree and he was bent in full view, panting hard too. They were so close and it was enough. She didn't need romantic feelings involved between them. She just needed him, him and her together like that. She went out of her hiding spot and made a sign of peace. He agreed good naturedly, still laughing like a kid before taking his position for their taijutsu training.

One hour later, they were still at it. Each one of them not holding back in front of his adversary, escaping, hitting, sliding. It was a real piece of art to have at display such a high level of skill. Naruto heard his name being called. His inattention nearly cost him a powerful punch in the jaw that he avoided from an inch. Naruto backed quickly from his partner and signed to her the end of the training.

The pinkette looked in the direction of the voice. _A beauty!_ A young woman, very sophisticated in her very costly kimono waved at her teammate from the top of the hill. The blond ninja waved back at her before excusing himself from his teammate to jog in the direction of the girl. The said girl seemed delighted and headed towards him with small steps, her movement limited by the expensive kimono. As expected, with such a complicated garment on a snowy hill, she fell and Naruto jumped to catch her. The petite woman thanked him respectably as a good educated woman should and she winced from a pain in her ankle which she told him about. Naruto carried her back to her vehicle and called Sakura to check on her.

"Oh it's not necessary Naruto-sama, my physician will take care of me," the young beauty insisted, resting her small hands on his forearms.

Naruto, dense as ever, didn't understand anything from the subtle body language the woman was giving him. "Don't worry, Sakura-chan is incredible with her hands," he assured her.

Sakura landed in three jumps at the side of her teammate and the blond quickly asked her to check on the lady. Sakura bent to look at the wounded ankle and used her healing chakra. Nothing worth worrying, just a very little stress that couldn't even cause a sprain. She glanced discreetly to the girl. Her perfect, painted face was putting on highlight her very refined features. The black around her eyes was making them even darker, her eyelashes curling delicately on her porcelain skin that the rice powder was enhancing, and her lips pink as some petal flower. She was the exact opposite of her, refined, delicate and sweet.

The pinkette hesitated to blurt out to her teammate that the girl had nothing. But the praise Naruto gave her for her not-worth-healing job shut her down.

"Sakura-chan is the head medic of Konoha's hospital, the best! The former Hokage is her master and I guess she is even better than her now," he said proudly. The head-medic felt the blood rushing to her cheeks at such a praise.

The woman nodded and approved. "She is very good... it doesn't hurt anymore," The woman lied. The brunette wanted to know which type of relation was between them. "You have a very nice girlfriend Naruto-sama," she praised.

Naruto and Sakura blushed at the compliment and he laughed awkwardly. "She's just my best friend. We've been teammates since we were twelve years old." the blond explained realizing that what he thought to be a compliment could be embarrassing for Sakura. Last time, he had said that she was his girlfriend to his reanimated father, she had nearly broken his head.

The girl smiled sweetly. She was very satisfied with his answer and the dejected look on the pinkette's face. "My father came for some business with the Hokage. I told him that I will come to get you as you are the one that suggested the idea."

Naruto glanced at Sakura and afterwards at his clothes. "I'm in the middle of training and I'm sure that the Hokage will be more than able to help you in your transaction," he tried to argue.

She pouted and lightly squeezed his arms."Please Naruto-Sama!" the woman pleaded batting her eyelashes.

The blond turned to his teammate. "Sorry Sakura-chan, I know I promised you to train today but can we do it another time?" He asked, dejected. They were having so much fun, and the sorry look in his eyes told her that he was doing it only out of obligation. So Sakura nodded and told him to pass after her shift at the hospital the next day.

XXXX

The next day, the head-medic was signing papers in her office when Ino entered, looking a bit too excited to presume anything good might happen from it. The blond girl leaned on her desk, eyes shinning and all giggles. The pinkette glanced at her and went straight to the point. "So what's the honor? Something related to Sai?" Sakura asked, thinking that the blond wanted to boast about her relationship.

Ino laughed for herself. "No better, you could never guess what I heard today..."

Sakura was feeling utterly bored with those gossips. She had an hospital to manage, she couldn't lose her time with some blabbering made by old women. "What is it this time?" Sakura asked bored ; sooner she would know, sooner she would be able to go back to work.

"I was in the Hokage tower, when I heard a conversation..." Ino stopped to manage her effect and check if the pinkette was still listening to her or if she was too focused reading a scroll. "Stop reading this damn scroll when I came especially to give you the news of the month!" Ino barked.

Sakura sighed, closing the paper. "Ok, I'm listening to you."

Ino cleared her throat. "You will not believe me when I will tell you that..."

Sakura got a vein popping up her forehead but restrained herself, waiting for the outcome. Ino continued without a care for the growing anger. "Naruto got proposed to!"

It took three seconds for the message to get to her brain. Sakura had her mouth wide open. It seemed to her that her vital functions stopped. The pinkette blinked her eyes first, coming back to her senses and after she rediscovered how to breathe. "What did you say?" She asked in complete confusion.

Ino repeated cutting down all syllables to make it very understandable. "Na-ru-to got pro-po-sed to!"

Sakura blinked again. She hadn't heard wrong. But she didn't understand, she was with him yesterday and he didn't tell her anything... He was just Naruto, like usual. When did that happen? She looked at the blond woman, who was studying her. She would get in trouble if she didn't compose herself fast enough. "Good for him!" Sakura lied, returning her attention to her documents, hoping to end the conversation.

XXXXX

Sakura hadn't been able to focus at all after that for her whole afternoon. She was reading for the ninth time the same page on her report when the object of all her troubles appeared in her office to spar with her. She was having an excess of emotions to unload on training. So they left to the training ground. Naruto presumed that her day must have been terrible as his teammate was completely silent and a dark aura was surrounding her. He was up to have an intense training, he thought to himself. He tried anyway to talk to her first. "You know you can tell me everything... I would be glad to help if I can," the blond offered generously.

He received such a hard, dark glare that he stepped backward instinctively. "You!" Sakura begun. "You tell me that?" She angrily poked his chest with a finger. "You of all people! You who didn't even tell me that he will get married!" she barked, the last note of her voice breaking from harsh emotion.

Naruto looked at her quizzically. "How?... Who?..." He didn't even know where to begin and the point was certainly not to discover how she got the information. "Let me explain Sakura-chan! This is not what you think!" He tried waving his hand in a gesture of peace. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, her face hard and ready for a fight. The blond laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his head to clear up the situation. "It is just...huh... You know the powerful merchant..." Sakura nodded and he continued. "His daughter kind of liked me, there's something strange with all this hero of Konoha thing, you know.. . People kind of act weird..." He looked at the angry expression on her face, he gulped. "Her father... Her father was quite of insistent that I marry her. He even threatened to not make business with Konoha otherwise."

If a glare could kill, he would have been dead by now.

"So you are marrying her for business," she stated.

He jumped. "No!" he waved his hand again, more and more lost in his own explanation. "Baa-chan doesn't let nobody threatening her. She made a deal with him, you know how she's able to turn things over. The deal will be done and in three days I will tell them my answer."

The pinkette didn't look more peaceful in his point of view. The popping vein on her forehead indicated nothing good was to happen actually.

"And how is it different?" Sakura grunted.

Naruto was truly lost. _Hadn't he explained it to her?_ "You know..." he laughed, uncomfortable, "I will just wait with a low profile for three days and Baa-chan will certainly help me with a good speech to keep up the appearance and say 'no'." He sighed. "So what are you so upset for?" the blond asked back, returning to his main concern.

Sakura felt cornered. Stupid and cornered. She couldn't tell him that she has been lost the whole day because she thought that he was getting married with this girl he'd barely met. She turned red and screamed at him. "Mind your own business! I don't need you to interfere in my life... Leave me alone!"

It was too much and she was not able to look him in the eyes. The pinkette backed away and left him standing alone on the training ground.


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER CORRECTED THANKS TO PRINCESS RIMA FOR HER BETA READ WORK  
**

 **CHAP 10**

Days passed and Christmas was around the corner. The group was meeting up at the orphanage to throw them a special Christmas party. The ninja that are quite familiar with the place now were mixing up with the kids. Shikamaru witnessed that the blond ninja wasn't in his usual cheerful mood. He was still smiling but something was off. He looked around and noticed that his favorite teammate wasn't around. He casually approached the future Hokage-to-be, still wondering why he was putting himself in such troublesome situations.

"So what's happened with Sakura?" He asked, his hand resting in his pockets.

Naruto was taken a back. _Was he so easy to read?_ He thought but decided better to believe that Shikamaru wasn't called the genius for nothing. _Maybe he could help_. "I wanted to help her and I don't know... she screamed at me and told me to mind my own business... I don't understand what I have done wrong." He answered honestly.

The strategist sighed. "Troublesome women."

Naruto nodded at the comment. Neither of them were able to understand their logic. He plastered a false grin. "I am sure she will get over it soon... she never stays angry with me for long, I will just have to wait I suppose."

The little five year old spotted her favorite person in the world and jumped on him. "Naruto-Nii-Sama!" She called him happily.

For the first time that day, he gave the child a real smile. "Hello Myu-chan!" he greeted her and lifted her up in his arms.

The little girl curiously touched his short hair. "Why did you cut your hair? I liked your hair!"

He looked at her adorable little pouting face. "You don't like me anymore without my hair?" He joked and she kissed his cheek innocently.

"I always love Naruto-Nii-Sama." She declared full of her childlike certitude.

Both men laughed. Shikamaru patted his friend shoulder. "Maybe the younger ones are easier to deal with." He teased.

Hanabi came closer to her big sister and joked: "This kid will have him before you if you keep being a coward."

The taller brunette nodded, she had sworn that she will do her best and she wasn't going to back down today.

XXXX

Sakura was feeling so awful that she couldn't bring herself to go to the Christmas party for the kids and meet him in front of all their friends. She thought about the best way to apologize and wanted to do it in a more private manner. She went to wait near his apartment with a Christmas gift. She had thought that without his longer hair, he might get cold so she bought him an orange cap, his favorite color. He shouldn't be too long as the night was beginning to fall. She heard his name be called and she bend over the railing. Hinata was jogging toward him. They talked briefly and she followed him through the stairs. Sakura looked around. This wasn't part of the plan. She didn't want to explain herself in front of a witness. She jumped to the rooftop and went waiting on the building in front. She will just come after when he will be alone.

From where she was hiding, she was having a pretty clear view of his one bedroom apartment. She saw them entering and Naruto helping her taking off her over-coat. Sakura smiled, Tsunade-sheishou had finally managed to teach him some good manners. She shifted a little to have a better look. His back was turned towards her and Hinata was talking to him a blush spread all over her face.

She realized, a confession. She witnessed the Hyuga heiress crying and she felt somewhat relieved. But Naruto bended over her, hugging her. From where she was, she couldn't hear anything from their conversation. Unfortunately for her, she didn't need the sound to know what's was happening. When her teammate straightened up, she saw the Hyuga heiress going to the tip of her toes to kiss him. What was this broken sound in her chest, this pain that she had believed to never live again? She felt like she was suffocating, she felt like vomiting. This couldn't be happening. She lost her chakra control and lost her balance. She held onto the edge of the rooftop and closed her eyes to retain some treacherous tears. She couldn't bear more of it so she escaped, to barricade herself in her room.

Naruto heard his name being called from behind and saw Hinata jogging towards him. He waited for her and she told him that she wanted to talk to him. The night was beginning to fall and in this winter season, the air was already quite chilly. He offered her to come and talk at his place to be more comfortable, the black-haired girl nodded and followed him up the stairs. She was feeling a knot forming itself with her gut.

Insecure, she entered after him in his small apartment. Her heart beat loudly in her chest when he helped her take off her coat. He was the love of her life and she needed to have the courage to try to stand by his side.

She called him "Naruto-kun", stopping the blabbering of the young man that was offering her to make some tea and inviting her to make herself comfortable. He turned toward her at the call of his name. She was so red that even her ears turned red. It was like she was on the verge of exploding. People can call him dense, naive or whatever... but to him, it was another strange behavior of the timid, weird girl he had always known. But he liked her, just the way she was. She was always trying her best after all. And she blurted it out:

"I love you Naruto-kun! Please go out with me!"

He was shocked.

Suddenly he realized that she was in the exact same situation as him... in love with someone that loved someone else. "Hinata" he said softly. He didn't know how to make it less painful as he knew how painful this situation was for both of them. "I am sorry...".

The Hyuga heiress began to cry hearing those words. "I swear Naruto-kun that I can make you happy... I would do everything to make you happy... I would be whatever you want me to be." She pleaded, the flow of tears running on her pale cheeks.

He knew how she felt and was so sad to make her feel that way. If only he could love her, overcome his one-sided love... at least she would be happy. He hugged her tightly, some compassionate tears escaping his closed eyes, his head buried in her neck.

"I am so sorry." He repeated truly pained to bring such tragic answer.

He did not want to hurt her; he really did care for her. She was his precious friend that has always encouraged him. She had been here by his side in the battle and helped him to hold on for everyone else. This was so unfair that he has to hurt her. So unfair that someone have to suffer because of him.

He straightened up and the look in her eyes brought him in a state of complete confusion. If only he could save her. She pleaded again. "I love you Naruto-kun... give me a chance... I love you so much Naruto-kun."

He didn't know what to say anymore. She went on the tip of her toes and kissed him. The kiss was so desperate that his heart clenched in compassion. If only he could love her that way. If only... she kissed him again. He didn't want to hurt her like he was hurt himself. He let her. He could try. He responded to her kiss. He let her roll her arms against his neck and press her body against his. She was beautiful, intelligent and kind. She loved him and he should be happy for that. He felt her soft breast against his torso. She was really desirable. His blood was turning hot in his veins. She was kissing him all over the face, on his neck. He was certainly blushing as much as she was, confused and excited at the same time. _If he could make her happy, may be..._

He was a perfectly healthy young man being kissed thoroughly by a beautiful woman. He felt loved. He felt horny. His body was reacting on his own free will. Instinctively his hand roamed over the woman pressed against him. She was so soft. His hands weren't big enough to take hold of her ample breasts. He felt another jolt of excitement, his pants becoming more and more tight by the second. She was moaning so sweetly, it was intoxicating.

He wasn't able to think anymore, they ended up in a mess of limbs on his bed, his kiss as ferocious as her. She was bucking her hips to him, pressing their bodies, pressing their intimate parts together. His eyes were clouded by desire when they parted to breath again. He didn't even realize that he had opened her blouse. He looked hungrily at her bra. She has a body like those sexy-jutsu's, except that she was real. He bent his head towards the offered breast and kissed the delicate skin softly. His fingers slide slowly on the generous curve and tucked down the lace.

His tongue rolled over and over the pink nipple making her arch her back from the ministration. His erection was painfully full and the movement of her hips wasn't getting him any calmer. He felt her hand grip his shirt and he helped her taking it out of the way before returning to her lips. He felt her hand caressing his arms, his chest, his toned abs, and her fingers stopped hesitant on the waistband of his pants. His body was on fire. He panted releasing her mouth again ready to get rid of all of the clothes that are separating them. His eyes plunged in hers.

She looked at him so dearly, welcoming him with her body, with her soul. "I love you Naruto-kun." She repeated and the shock was violent for him.

He was not able to say the same… not in the same manner. He felt so wrong, so terribly wrong. _What was he ready to do to his precious friend?_ Some tears escaped his eyes and fell on her face. He untangled himself and seated on the end of his bed. His back crouched down and his hands in his hair, holding his head down. She had known that he didn't love her the second she confessed to him the first time.

She had hope beyond hope that maybe she could convince him, that her love for him could be contagious. She had hoped and hung onto every bit of hope as he responded to her kiss. She stifled a sob. She loved him so much. His head popped up as he heard her muffled cry. He turned toward her wanting to console her. He wanted to hold her tight to protect her. But he was the one hurting her. So he didn't know what to do.

"Am I not good enough?" She asked wanting to know what she could do.

"No! It's not that! You are beautiful, sweet, and smart! I like you very much... but..." He was searching his words.

"I am not attractive to you?" She whined.

"I would not say that." He looked down at his evident erection making her understand that his body was still very willing to continue on what they were doing before meeting her eyes again. "I can't just do that to you, not like that. I respect you... you are precious to me... I wish I could love you back. Everything would be so amazing if I could do that. You are an amazing person Hinata." He inhaled deeply. "I can't lie to myself, I can't lie to you... I am in love with someone else." It was hard to say, even harder to say to her, hurting her. She nodded. "I am so sorry..." He repeated sincerely when she stood up gathering all onces of energy to not break in front of him.

She loved him so much that she couldn't stand to make him feel guilty. She smiled softly. "I understand... I am fine." She lied.

She put some order to her clothes. He was looking at her with his big cerulean eyes, so full of remorse. Those eyes contained so much emotion all the time; they were never dull or emotionless. She adored them. She adored him; he was such a kind man. She took her leave, he wanted to accompany her but she refused.

He stayed up all night, not able to find any peace. The next day, he went to visit her, not wanting to abandon her harshly by herself. She told him that she was fine, that he didn't need to worry. She assured him that they were still friends, that no matter what, they still have that bond together. She wished him a safe trip and promised to go eat some Ramen with him when he will come back from Suna. And he left.

Please, Review, fav, follow


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER CORRECTED THANKS TO BLACK CURSE 11 FOR BETA READING IT**

Dany Ketchum: Thank you! I will certainly write more in the future. But I may go back to my first language. I can't touch the english reader with my actual level in english. I hope you will enjoy the rest of the story anyway.

Tiffanycr: I hope you will enjoy the chapter. Sorry if I have make you feel pressured. I just love to interact with my reader. Silence is certainly one of the worst echo when you have lay your work for people to read it. It is just my feeling and unfortunately it is a common feeling for many writer even as a hobby writer.

The 7th demon of razgriz: I am so glad you liked it! :)

Guest: Thank you for your support! I will write this story to a proper end. May be shorter of what it was suppose to be as I am loosing my motivation to write. But an end anyway :)

Aqua rules: Yeah unrequited love is tough and being conscious of hurting someone is painful as well. Naruto is a very compassionate person, so he will share Hinata pain understanding too well her situation. But yeah, I can't imagine Hinata not being gracious with Naruto. She is not the type to be mean. I have lost once someone that i loved and I smiled for him while he was breaking my heart. Just to not make him feel guilty or uncomfortable. I think Hinata is the type to sacrifice herself for Naruto sake.

 **CHAP 11**

Sakura didn't try to see Naruto before his departure. She closed herself up in her room, turning the orange hat fiddling in her hand . She felt strange... empty... isolated. Alone. She didn't want to see any of her friends. Nobody is able to make her smile like Naruto did. She has to get back on her feet by herself this time. She lost him. He is with Hinata now. Sakura should be happy for him, the girl loves him deeply and he deserves it. He deserves to be happy. She would try to move on, keeping safe their precious bond of friendship .

Few days passed. He must have arrived to Sand by now, Sakura mused. She scolded herself for thinking about him again. A knock on her door made her stop her internal battle. Hikaru came in dropping a scroll on her desk. The young medic took a closer look at her.

"You seem tired lately, Haruno-san," he commented, concerned. His deep, black eyes fixed on her. "Have you eaten properly lately? Would you come with me to eat?" Hikaru offered, trying his luck.

Her eyes met his. This was not a professional lunch. The head medic remembered Ino's suggestion to find a boyfriend. Sakura remembered the thousands of times she had turned down Naruto, before realizing that he was too important to her. Now Naruto was in a relationship. She shouldn't do the same mistake twice. She wasn't much in the mood, but still accepted her co-worker's offer.

They went for a lunch and as expected, Hikaru took it as positive step. The man came again the next day and without much fuss, Sakura accepted again. They talked about everything, anything, and nothing. It was easy, she could speak with him about work related stuff and the man understood. Hikaru was polite and intelligent, sometimes too reserved. The moment they shared wasn't unpleasant. They went for lunch few more times before he dared to invite her for dinner; the work at the hospital was calm and she had nothing better to do, so Sakura accepted.

The evening had been nice, they went to a small restaurant, and Hikaru walked her back to her house. Arriving at her door, they stayed a immobile momentarily, both not sure about what to do next. The dark-haired man hesitated, but took her hand softly and held it as if fragile. His fingers felt warm against her skin, she was acutely aware of herself being filled with strange, but not unwelcome, emotion.

"Can I call you Sakura-chan?" he asked politely.

She winced at the name... It reminds her too much of him, and it was only the blond who could call her like that. "You can call me Sakura," she offered with a smile.

"Sakura..." Hikaru made her name roll on his tongue, happy at the newfound closeness.

A light blush crept on his cheeks, the man came closer until just an inch from her as to ask for permission. Sakura was surprised. She shouldn't have but she was anyway. She had always known that kissing was highly expected in a relationship, but she never thought it would apply to Hiraku-san. The pinkette didn't move, so the young man closed up the distance between them.

His lips felt warm and soft against hers. It was a curious feeling, a light tingling in her belly. Hikaru insisted sliding his tongue between her lips. The sensation was foreign. It was soft, reserved... so different from the kiss she had shared with Naruto. She felt secure, in control. She wasn't overwhelmed. Sakura wasn't drowning like when she was under the passionate embrace of the blond. Maybe it was better for her heart, safer. The black-haired man smiled with a discreet hue of pink on his cheeks. He wished her goodnight and left. Sakura entered her room, Hikaru was a nice person, it was simple and safe. This relationship could work.

Every day, Sakura would meet him for lunch, for dinner, or to walk back home together. She felt proud of herself, she was back on her two feet by herself and not doing the same mistakes done in the past. It was the first time in her life that the head medic got herself a boyfriend. She wasn't yet in love, but she was comfortable. Now that Team 7 was nearly disbanded, Sasuke being away, Naruto training to becoming Hokage, and Sai back to his ANBU activities, the pinkette was left full time at the hospital as the head medic. With the reconstruction of Konoha and everything becoming more peaceful around her, it was like having a civilian life.

XXX

Naruto arrived back in Konoha at the end of the afternoon with Shikamaru in the middle of January. The festivity in the Sand have been great, he'd been really glad to see Gaara and spend time with him. The former Sand Jinchuuriki held their friendship dear and placed Naruto as the guest of honor for the celebration. But, even with all the kindness Gaara was showing him, his stay there had been exhausting. The blond was on constant guard when speaking to politicians and merchants alike.

His position as the guest of honor and Konoha's official representative was putting Naruto under the spotlight. The Hokage candidate didn't yet understand all the playing pieces in the game of politics, he's always been a man of action. He hadn't been comfortable sitting around a table only listening to hours of nonsense. The blond was somewhat lost in the field that wasn't his major strength. It's why he had been happy when Shikamaru had been there to assist him avoiding making major mistakes, even while knowing that the lazy genius came along mostly for his hidden agenda with Gaara's sister. It was one of his first solo mission where Tsunade or Kakashi weren't with him and Naruto had wanted to make it a success.

It had been three weeks and a long road to come back. The two men, after leaving the Hokage tower, agreed on going at the bathhouse to relax. They undressed and entered the steamed room where a few heads were recognizable. They washed their bodies clean and joined their friends in the big bath. Naruto greeted Sai, Choji, and had briefly glanced at Kiba. The blond was very worried about Hinata since his departure, he needed to know if she was alright. Naruto tried to look as detached as possible to not hint at anything that happened between them.

"Good to see you guys! Did you come back from a mission?" Naruto asked.

Sai nodded without explaining any further, everybody knowing that ANBU missions were mostly S-rank missions. Kiba told him that he just come back from an easy scouting mission on a nearby border with his team, that was the opportunity Naruto waited to bring on the subject of Hinata.

The blond inquired, "Is Hinata here too?" Hopeful to be able to meet with her eventually.

Kiba, as usual, jumped at the blond man's throat, "Don't even think of peeping on her!" He threatened

Naruto fought back, pushing Kiba away, "I wasn't thinking of peeping, I'm not a kid anymore to do this kind of prank. I was just wondered how she was doing" he explained, soothing his throat.

Kiba stood up before him with an intense glare, "Don't think of chasing after my teammate just because your teammate isn't available anymore!"

Sai's and Shikamaru's eyes were wide open and turned a concerned look towards Naruto. The blond man was still very calm. Could he have known about it?

Naruto stood up and stared hard into the Inuzuka's eyes. "What did you say about my teammate?" His tone low, threatening, and too quiet to be coming from the usually exuberant Naruto.

"Tch! You didn't even know that Sakura is dating someone from her hospital...Hika... Hikaru, I think," Kiba blurted.

A wave of raw chakra burst out, knocking down everything and splashing all the water. Naruto looked around, locking eyes with his other teammate, the artist seemed whiter than usual as if he had known and predicted the outcome. The animal force that was radiating from the blond ninja was threatening. Then, the blond jumped out of the bath, landing on the wet floor like a feline.

Shikamaru tried to stop him with a jutsu possession, but the blond jumped to the side, avoiding the attack. The strategist could only yell after him to calm down and not do anything stupid. But Naruto was a man that was carrying his heart on his sleeve for the best and the worst. Shikamaru, followed by Sai, ran after the blond. The idiot left the place in just his underwear, jumping from rooftop to rooftop while dressing up.

Naruto was fast, however, they weren't so far behind him with the help of the ink beast bird that Sai designed. They landed just after him in the front gate of the hospital and ran after him inside. Naruto was familiar enough with the hospital to have stolen thousands of times Sakura's plans. It wasn't difficult to find the planning board and searched for the name. Sai, knowing his teammate's new boyfriend, went directly to find the man with Shikamaru in tow. They arrived just in time before Naruto could do anything to the innocent victim and together sent a possession jutsu, and a sacred ink snake to immobilize the blond.

Naruto threw them a glare, his chakra was so powerful that he could overcome their jutsu at any moment. His deep blue eyes landed on the name of the medic and lifted his eyes to study the guy, black hair, black eyes, a little air of Sasuke. Naruto felt his heart get torn in pieces. The level of chakra became more intense and the two jutsu melted under. The blond freed himself and dissipated his excess chakra to a normal level again before walking calmly towards the man.

Hikaru had heard stories about the Hero of Konoha, but he'd never met him before. He had heard his girlfriend praise him for his kindness or his courage. However, at that moment, the only feeling that the blond man was inspiring to him was fear. Even without being a combatant type, the medic was able to feel the oppressing power that was emanating from the blond. Hikaru swallowed with difficulty what was stuck in his throat. He was feeling like a small animal that would get ripped apart by a dangerous predator.

The tall blond stopped in front of him and approached his mouth to his ears. "If you make her cry or disrespect her... I will personally take care of your case," he whispered, his voice not much higher than a breath and a tone as cold as a kunai blade. The medic turned a shade whiter. The blond straightened up and the glare he bore on Hikaru told him he could have killed him here and now.

Sakura had felt the sudden strong chakra and got alarmed. Only one person could possess such amount of chakra. She jumped down the stairs and turned the last corner before arriving at a white, long corridor. Naruto was there, his back towards her, Hikaru as white as a sheet in front of him. The blond turned around and Sakura saw his eyes, they were like a tormented ocean ready to destroy anything in his way. Naruto walked towards her, his face morphing into neutrality. The blond ninja passed her, without a glance, without a greeting. His heart was too much in a turmoil, and he wasn't sure that he maintain composure. The pinkette gritted her teeth. Her idiot just came, made a scene in her hospital, put her life upside-down and left.

"What are you doing here?" Sakura growled menacingly.

Naruto stopped in his tracks, ready to explode like a volcano. His blue eyes were caught with Shikamaru mouthing 'Stay quiet!' and hand signing him to leave. The blond was fixed on him, debating with himself on what to do. All the long hours of training with Tsunade finally paid off. Naruto turned around to face Sakura and achieved a polite composure of the highest level he should be doing in politics.

"I was paying a visit to your boyfriend," Naruto stated, his voice devoid of all emotion.

"Don't come messing up my life! Leave him alone, it has nothing to do with you!" Her jade eyes were flashing with rage as they met shattered blue ones. Naruto didn't say anything more and just walked away, followed by Sai and Shikamaru.

Naruto sent a sideways glare to his two friends walking beside him. Shikamaru, hands in his pockets, commented, "I should be praising you... I really would've thought that you'd cut him in pieces... but you acted quite civilly there."

The blond smirked he'd thought the same until he realized... there was no point to it. It was just so evident. No matter how much he loved her, no matter how close they have become throughout all those years, no matter how much he became stronger, or how many years he was waiting for her to notice him. He'd simply never been her type in the first place. Naruto nearly laughed out loud at his own stupidity. People have told him that he was too dense, besides that he was stubborn. The reality was that he had never wanted to accept it.

Naruto stopped, his eyes dropping to the ground. "Can you leave me alone? I think I need some time by myself."

Shikamaru put an arm around his shoulder. "What about we grab something to drink and go to your place instead?" He gave a little tug to make Naruto start walking again. "Don't be more troublesome that you already are!" the strategist joked, earning a small smile from the blond.

It was good to have friends, but Naruto didn't know how to share his pain. The blond shook his head in refusal. "I'm fine" he quietly said, and moved away silently.

Naruto found himself at the top of the Hokage monument and gazed at the village for some long hours. He was very familiar with the pain in his chest, it wasn't new that his love was unrequited. It was that he would have to accept it was Sasuke. He was ready to let her be happy with his best friend. The blond had made a fool of himself by letting his emotion take control by the shock of the information. He was still highly impulsive. That was one of his biggest mistakes, his teacher had always told him. He was still unfit to become a Hokage.

XXX

Naruto was back in Konoha but it was as if he wasn't there for her anymore. He never visited at the hospital and Sakura didn't dared to drop by at his apartment. The joyous time when they would chat after training, eat ramen together for a lunch break, or simply cheerfully greeting each other was long over. Something had broken their friendship and the pinkette didn't know how to repair it. She had seen him eating with Hinata at Ichiraku, but the head medic cowardly changed direction. Too many emotions were still fighting inside her. But, Sakura missed him. She missed him more than when he left for his training with Jiraiya-sensei.

Five months passed without the blond's presence, he'd left on a special training by himself up a mountain from the gossip going on in the village. But, Ino told her that the blond met Sasuke by chance on one of his mission and had decided to train with the Uchiha afterward on some remote place. The mention of Sasuke could've hurt her, however, Sakura was now just feeling jealous of their bond. Naruto and Sasuke were friends, they were rivals, and that put her position with them in a doubt. What was she to them? She felt excluded of their bond. She felt alone without Naruto.

The pinkette was surprised when she saw the blond sleeping under a tree in Training Ground 4. She hadn't known at all that he was back. She wasn't prepared at all, but she walked towards him. His back was leaning on the rough surface of the trunk with head bent down slightly to the side, and an ice cream stick held in between his closed lips. The leaf's shadows danced on him as a small breeze passed by, his face completely relaxed and serene. Sakura stood, looking at the blond a few moments, the rise of his chest in rhythm with his slow, deep breathing. Her contemplation was interrupted as she heard a voice coming towards them. The kunoichi jumped up the tree and hid within the leaves, suppressing her chakra.

A group of three genin made their way closer and spotted the blond man. They ran towards him with excitement. Naruto cracked an eye open and a smile crept on his face. She loved that smile. All three young shinobi looked up at him in admiration. He was their hero, the Hero of Konoha.

"Hello guys, you are here for training?" Naruto asked as he woke up.

The kids happily nodded. The tall blond dusted his pants. The genin were so small compared to him. Naruto had grown a lot lately, changing both physically and mentally.

"Well then, I should leave you to train." The blond stretched his arms above his head. His sleeves fell down at the gesture, revealing the beginning marks of an ugly burn. Naruto ruffled a kid's hair and casually walked away. Sakura hid her chakra as much as possible, jumping from tree to tree. Her best friend was heading toward the road, and if she managed well, she could catch up undetected.

Naruto appeared in front of her once on the road, and from his surprised look, he hadn't noticed her. He composed his face.

"Hello Naruto..." Sakura greeted him apprehensively.

He averted his gaze, suddenly fascinated by a stone on the ground. "Hello Sakura-chan..." the blond greeted her, not as cheerfully as he used to be, not sure how he was supposed to act around her anymore.

"Did you return today?" the pinkette asked, he simply nodded in response. "How's Sasuke? I suppose the training had been difficult." she inquired, knowing that she would receive some sort of reaction from it.

At the mention of Sasuke, his blue eyes shot up meeting her. She didn't seem hurt, nor sad... or actually a little sad. "Sasuke is fine." Naruto replied, automatically knowing that she must have been worried about the bastard.

"And you?" she continued.

He didn't understand where that was coming from. "Fine!" he lied.

She took a step toward him and as naturally as she could be, lifted his sleeves to reveal the burning mark. "You follow me!" Sakura ordered, "I can't leave you alone without you getting hurt!" she commented, falling back into the pattern of scolding him. The blond smiled gratefully. It was their way of making peace, their way of overcoming their awkwardness from the past few months.

The head medic then led him to the hospital and had him sit on an examining table. She asked him to take off his shirt for her to inspect the damage. Her best friend complied as his usual self, quite happy at the normalcy. Sakura felt safe, this was the usual medical procedure. She felt they were back on familiar ground.

The burn on his arm was a small part of the damage. Naruto had patched himself as he could, quite clumsily in her point of view. She took off the bandages carefully as to not make the still-fresh scar bleed. Sakura studied the burns, the bruises, and the deepest scars. He was already healing on some smaller cuts, but she could still help him with the bigger tissue damage.

Sakura activated her healing chakra and let the green flow repair the skin. She realized that he hadn't been sleeping so soundly under the tree after training, he'd been recuperating on his way back home. Naruto had been completely vulnerable, and anyone could have come after his life at that moment.

"You should be more careful, you're the next Hokage..." Sakura lectured the blond. She didn't want to say any more as to not reveal that she had been spying on him while he'd been asleep.

"Nah, it's fine... it's just that our last jutsu turned out badly. I think we were too exhausted to have full control of our chakra," the blond dismissed her, thinking she was still scolding him for his training.

"And what was this jutsu about?" the medic asked curiously as she continued healing the damage.

"We were trying to combined our chakra using my Nine-Tails form and his Susanoo, and mix my Tailed-Beast Bomb with his Amaterasu." Naruto excitedly explained.

"Haa... I understand this mess now..." Sakura commented caustically. It was good to interact normally again. He rubbed the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. She had missed him so much.

 _Thanks for your review, fav and follow. You are my motivation!_


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER CORRECTED THANKS TO SHADOWCHILD423 FOR HIS BETA READING WORK  
**

For those who want to have a corrected chapter, you can wait. The mention "CHAPTER CORRECTED" will be written when it will be done.

Thanks to all my reviewers. You are my true motivation. I had turn around my computer without being able to write a single word and I reread your message. I really want to give you my best (even if it is not much). So I will write a little bit more. I hope you will still be with me more to support me in my work. Thank you guys!

 _nico 2883: siate patienti... qualcosa succederà di sicuro! Grazie mille! (Sorry my italian is not good to write more. But be sure that there will be a lot of Narusaku moment. I just need to clear the mess I created between them ;) )_

 _guest 007: Thank you very much for your support!_

 _kovasckovi0520: Thank you very much. I am happy that you find that I improved! :)_

 _Aqua rules: Things will move, Hinata have her role but may be not in the way you think... i will let you the surprise to read it when the time come. i hope you will like the developpement_

 _Troa95: Sakura was lost when she saw Hinata confession. For her she had lost Naruto and Sasuke was already lost since a while... So she had to move on. For the time when i solve everything between them, you can't imagine my smile while writing those line... It was worth the wait. Sorry for the wait... just hold on a bit more and we will arrive soon to the real deal between them. *naughty smile*_

 **CHAP 12**

Time passed, and slowly Naruto and Sakura's relationship returned to normal. They still saw each other less often than before and their love lives were a forbidden topic. But at least, they weren't awkward together and it was good to share a bond, whatever it was.

It was summer and the weather was extremely hot. Sakura was in a small cafe and was drinking a fresh juice waiting for her boyfriend when she saw Naruto doing a jogging in the street. His tall frame with his sunny blond hair were unmistakable. He spotted her and turned on the spot with grace befitting a high ranking shinobi. He entered the cafe and walked to her table, all smiles. Some beads of sweat were running down his neck toward his chest and back, almost sensually. Already, many of the women were staring at him hungrily. In typical Naruto-style ignorance, he lifted his tee-shirt to dry the sweat on his forehead with the bottom of it, revealing in the process his muscular abs. The women present gasped and some stiffled squeals resonated simultaneously. The blond looked around curious about what could have cause such reaction and the pinkette liked his oblivious-self for once. Naruto was keeping some of his child-like innocence at least.

They chatted together, him laughing out loud, her smiling or scolding him. It was so good to be around him and the kunoichi almost forget her date. Hikaru stopped at the door. The medic never had overcome his slight fear of the blond ninja, but he didn't like what he saw. Those two were so attuned to one another.

 _Sakura never smiled like that for me, she never looks at me like that._ This threatening feeling of losing her made him put his fear of Naruto aside. Hikaru walked toward his girlfriend and boldly kissed his girlfriend on the top of her head, glaring at Naruto while doing so.

Naruto looked away. He knew that, one day, a moment like that would happen. The blond put his feelings in check and plastered a grin on his face, lifting up his eyes to her. The powerful ninja greeted the medic as friendly as he could and took this as an opportunity to leave. Naruto walked out of the cafe and resumed his jogging, most of the female, young or older, still following him with their gaze.

Hikaru seated himself in front of his girlfriend, his black eyes piercing into her. He was feeling horribly jealous and he couldn't seem to be able to shake the feeling off. Sakura felt uncomfortable under his gaze.

"So what do you want to do?" she asked, trying to change the atmosphere. He tried to relax and smiled at her, extending his hand to hold hers.

XXXX

Sakura followed Hikaru at his place for a late tea after their long walk along the river that night. The atmosphere had been very romantic. The pinkette made herself comfortable on his couch while he prepared the beverage. The dark-haired man came back and sat very close to her, their thighs touching. She wanted to step back a little, as she was always a little uncomfortable with the proximity. In seven months together, Hikaru had always been a perfect gentleman, respecting the distance she needed. He never pushed too far, but today he was acting a little different. He had been excessively touchy, not missing any chance to grab her hand or to put a hand around her waist.

Her boyfriend came closer leaning toward her, his lips searching for hers. The kiss was more eager than usual. He leaned more forward forcing her down on the couch pillow. They had never had sex and he was done waiting. Sakura was the most beautiful girl he had ever dated, she was amazing at everything she did. He loved her but if he waited for her, their relation would never improve as she seemed satisfied with so little. Sakura escaped the kiss.

"Hikaru wait!" she pleaded pushing him off. He searched her eyes and she avoided his.

"What Sakura? Do you hate it when we kiss?" the man asked studying her.

"No! It's not that! It's just..." the young woman trailed off.

"Do you hate it when I touch you?" Hikaru insisted. He was more and more afraid seeing her reaction, her eyes never meeting his.

"I need more time..." she argued. His body was hovering above her. His black hair falling all around his face and his black eyes staring straight at her, searching for an answer.

"Do you love me?" His voice trembled. Their eyes finally met. "You never told me that you loved me. Do you love me? Say it or prove it! I need to know Sakura." His voice was desperate. Sakura was lost for words, she needed time and she felt cornered.

"Hikaru..." The sordid jealous feeling came back, clenching his guts.

"You love him, don't you?" his eyes pierced her, his girlfriend flinched knowing exactly who he was referring to. "You love your 'best friend?'" he clarified, hearing no answer.

"It's not like that between us. I'm with you!" she tried to explain.

"Sakura. Do you love him?" The pinkette lowered her gaze guiltily. The man didn't need much, he understood her silent answer. He felt angry, but he mostly felt lost. He stood up turning his back to her, his head lightly bended down. "I think we should break up." Hikaru told her sadly.

"Hikaru..." Sakura tempted but he lifted his hand in the air in a gesture to silence her.

"Don't say more. Don't argue. Don't fight. I know this is a lie. Enough!" A lump formed in his throat "Can you leave me alone? Please, Sakura," his voice trembled. The pinkette stood up and put a hand on his shoulder but he just repeated "Enough." He pushed away the small pale hands from him.

XXXXX

Orange and yellow leaves were covering the trees in Konoha, giving the village a colorful tone. Konohamaru waited, playing with a orange leaf between his finger, for Naruto to come out of the Hokage tower from his day of training. The blond ninja appeared at the door sighing from relief. Naruto was exhausted from those long hours of administrative duty. He suspected that his former sensei was leaving him all the most boring and troublesome work.

The younger man ran toward his friend excitedly. "Naruto-nii-chan, you have to come with me! I have something to show you." Naruto smiled at the teen and followed him, chatting happily walking on a colored carpet of leaves.

Naruto was becoming more and more curious. Konohamaru didn't tell him about what he wanted to show him. All this mysterious ''you will see'' was building in him and he felt deflated when they just ended up in the third Hokage storage house. All he saw around was darkness, dust and a ton of old stuff. The blond put his hand on his hips and looked down at his young friend, who was pulling out of the way another box full of nonsense.

 _Why do people keep those kind of things?_ He wondered, seeing a monkey with a Hokage robe holding a kettledrum.

"So what's so important here?" Naruto asked, doubtful of the reason for his visit.

"You will see," came from the teen, half his body sticking out of a shelf. "Ah! Here!" the teenager exclaimed joyfully pulling out with him a box with the name ''Naruto'' on it. Naruto curiosity was picket again and he crouched down to be at the same level of his friend.

"Can I open it?" he asked candidly.

"Yeah! Sure nii-chan! There is some more. I found them while trying to clean this place up." Naruto broke the seal on the box, proof that it not have been opened until now. The dust rolled off the cover when he lifted it up and Konohamaru leaned above Naruto shoulder to try to have a glimpse of what was inside. The blond found on the top a small stuffed toy, a baby cover with his name engraved on it or more his legitimate name

''Naruto Namikaze," his throat tightened. It was his parents belongings they had prepared for him. He squeezed the stuffed toy a little. All his childhood, he had felt alone and unloved. But he was so much loved from even before his birth. His heart swelled and he felt unsure to be able to keep his composure. A tender smile spread on his face looking down at the box. Naruto wanted to take his time to appreciate each souvenir of them. He turned his head to the teen that was still bent over him.

"I think I will take them home." the blond informed him. The look on Konohamaru showed a little disappointment but the boy understood and offered him to pull out the other box.

So weighed down by four boxes, that he walked back home. Naruto entered his small, one room apartment and put down his precious load. It was more than his own belongings as he never really bought anything for himself. His flat was as bare as how he had receive it when he was kid. His own stuff being only his ninja weapons, his clothes and his photo of team 7. A pale ray of light was entering through the windows from the full moon shining out. The young man turned on the light of his room and began his exploration returning to his first box.

Naruto caressed the cover affectionately before opening it. His fingers lingered on his baby cover. He wished he had more time with his parents. He pulled out many other personal object, a to do list for his welcoming to the world, a notebook with his mother writing with a note _**How To Be A Good Mother**_. Naruto laughed reading some of the comments and his eyes watered imagining her searching for all the information to give him the best. The blond tightened his trembling lips. This was all he had always wanted, to be loved. And he was. He felt so grateful to them to have been his parents.

In the other box was one of his father's Hokage robes, some clothes, some old scrolls and their wedding rings. Naruto made roll in the palm of his hand the golden rings, weighing them, studying them. He touched the polished surface and read the message inside, ''love you forever." His parents have been so much in love with each other. He envied them and their love. He wished the same for himself, knowing that he was not so fortunate in that matter. The blond tried his father's ring on. It fitted surprisingly well. He had his adult size and as Tsunade told him, he was the splitting image of his dead father, that's how she ended up deciding to cut his hair.

Naruto opened the last box, still excited to know more about them and a little sad that it was the last of his unexpected gift. On the top was resting a photo album. He pulled the book on his laps and turned carefully the fist page. It was his parent's childhood, some photos from the academy. He slowly turned to each page, smiling fondly at each memory captured on the glossy paper. They were smiling. They were together on many of them. The blond ninja laughed upon seeing a photo where Kakashi was little and his father was his teacher. He supposed that the two other were his teammates, so Obito and a girl whose name he didn't know. Kakashi was so little, but the bastard already had his black mask. If only at least he could have caught a glimpse of his face as a kid. _It would have been so fun,_ Naruto thought for himself.

At the next page, the blond recognized the green scarf found in the other box, so it was her mom's gift to his father Christmas. He day-dreamed, imagining their life, imagining his life with them. They would have been so happy. Kuruma apologized quietly in Naruto's mind, but the blond dismissed it, forgiving him, knowing too well that the tail beast had been controlled by the Sharingan at the time, as well as consumed by hatred.

Naruto extended his hand to reach the green item and studied it. Some loops where missing, his mom must have tried to knit it. She was not the knitting type of person to him and he imagined her trying hard to make it. The young man rolled the scarf over his neck and enjoyed the softness of the wool bringing it closer to his face. A warm, sweet feeling bubbled in his chest and he turned another page of the album. Their wedding and more of their happy life together.

His mother was a jinchuriki like him and she had a happy loving life with his father. Naruto found many photos of his father with Pervy-sage, younger than he had ever known him and the last photo was one of the couple with him. His mother round belly made him guess that she was very close to the end and Jiraya-Sensei was holding both of them with a very happy, proud smile. Surely that day, he became his god-father. Many other pages were still blank, waiting forever to be filled.

The blond pulled out some books and in between were some big envelope with 'official papers' written on it . He unsealed them. It was their wedding certificate, his father's Hokage title, his legitimate birth certificate sign by the third Hokage and the land deed for their house. Naruto read the address on it. He never have really gave any attention to the housing around the village. He was suddenly curious, the place was a little far from the center, it might not have been destroyed by Pein's attack. The blond stood up and left immediately. He jumped from rooftop to rooftop and soon arrived at the address where his family's home was supposed to be, only to discover a long forgotten and unkempt bunch of stone and rotting wood next to an overgrown garden.

The next day, Naruto arrived earlier than usual at the Hokage tower. He hoped to have a discussion with his former sensei but, Hokage or not, Kakashi kept his habit of being late, and with the fact to have under his hand ready the next Hokage in line, the gray haired man was more than happy to leave him deal with as much as possible of the job. So the young man waited, doing his administrative duty in the meantime. His former teacher popped up out of nowhere reading a copy of 'Icha Icha Make Out' as Naruto was coming out of a meeting in his stead.

"Yo!" The gray-haired man greeted cheerfully his old student. The frown on the blond face told him that the meeting had been a pain in the ass. "I wish you where already twenty years old to officially become Hokage" Kakashi commented, as some time ago, the council accepted that the blond would be officially named Hokage at his twentieth birthday.

The council had been a hard fight, the older generation being the ones complaining that the fox boy was too young. But on the behalf of his hard training and with the result he brought on his diplomatic mission, no argument could postpone more than his twentieth birthday for administrative eligibility. The Hokage seated in his chair casually, which was now more of a formality, as the blond was doing a very fine job with Shikamaru's help.

Naruto came in front of him holding a envelope in his hand. Kakashi expected his student to complain about his late arrival or to ask him to sign some official documents. But the blond just scratched the back of his head and grinned at him. _What does he want?_ The Hokage thought.

"Kakashi-sensei, I have a personal question, and maybe you can help me with it." Naruto started waiting for a sign to continue. Kakashi nodded his head and the blond pushed forward. "Yesterday, Konohamaru gave me some box that his gramps was keeping for me, and I found some papers in it," Naruto pulled out the documents and put them down in front of Kakashi. "The house, my parents' house," he clarified, "I was wondering if I could live there. You know, I don't really know how this works, with the house being under my father's name and my last name being Uzumaki." Kakashi listened to him and looked down at the document. Uzumaki had been the name Naruto had been registered for as a kid to protect him as a Jinchuriki and son of the fourth. But from his legacy and birth certificate, he should have been Naruto Namikaze.

"Well, from those papers, you have nothing to do actually, they are legally yours. You are the only son of Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze. That proves it. You can even claim the Yondiame's untouched inheritance that he put away before your birth," the Hokage declared. Naruto grinned.

"Do you think that would be enough to rebuild the house as it was?" Kakashi chuckled.

"More than enough! Your father's inheritance is a very comfortable amount." After that, Kakashi helped him to make the official request for his inheritance to the council and Naruto went to the archive to find out the name of the builder of his parents' house.

Thank you for your review, fav and follow


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER CORRECTED THANKS TO SAKIRA-HIME FOR BETA READING IT**

Aqua Rules: thank you for your reviews! You are not a terrible person or i would be worst because I am the one that created this situation *devil smirk*. As you had guessed I prepare slowly all the element for a "logical" developpement of their feeling. I like to take my time and place clue here and there about what will happen next. The real deal... god i nearly got myself a nosebleed when writing the real deal... *cocky smile*

Troa95: I love you so much 3... You never abandonned me (except for chapter 4 of the Dangerous infiltration mission ;) )... Yeah i enjoyed so much to write the little moment of heart wrenching feeling at him discovering his parent beloging and I imagned the over excited Kushina writting so many little things for him in her note book to be a good mother. I imagined so much his feeling and nearly wanted to cry for him... to discovert he was so much loved and finally have something to hold onto and not just virtual memory of them. And Sakura! My dear dumb and stubborn little pinkette... She really needed to confront the reality of her feeling. That piss me of how everyone can see it except her. like Yamato after Naruto transform in the four tail against Oroshimaru, or Sai in the movie Will of Fire. To me it is so obvious that she loved him since a while but can't acknoledge it. So we are moving forward now. *devilish smile* I hope you will enjoy the next chapter.

 **Writers- all of them, from famous authors to subtle FF writers- ALL depend on the feedback from our readers. Vision Dominican brought up an interesting albeit tragically true idea:**

 ** _"Lack of reviews is the greatest killer of fan fic writers out there. We at the institute wish to let the public know of how they can pitch in to save our dying writers._**

 **Drop a review every other chapter. It may not seem like much, but reviews are actually what many of us want to see. That, and hits. Hits do make us happy but we don't really know if people like our story or not."**

So This story is now over 11000 thousand hits! Amazing to me... with 1500 only since i posted the last chapter... Even more cool. But only two reviews. What do think the others? Don't let your silence kill this story.

 **CHAP 13**

The months passed by; his birthday, Christmas and even Valentine's Day. The number of fanatic girls competing for his affection kept increasing. Naruto wondered if the announcement of his imminent appointment as Hokage for his twentieth birthday was the source of this excessive attention. His room was full of gifts and he had no idea where to store them. He was really looking forward to moving into his new house, which would happen in a matter of weeks. He heard a knock on his window and grinned, instantly recognizing the dark haired man.

"Sasuke! When did you arrive in Konoha?" he said, opening the window for his friend.

"Just now... I had an information about some terrorist activity. As promised, I came to inform the Hokage before taking action." Naruto listened to his friend's explanation and smiled

"Yosh! Some action for team 7!" he declared. Sasuke nodded. "But maybe the two of us should go together. Sakura is certainly busy with her hospital work," Naruto added, recalling a conversation he'd had with her ''ex-boyfriend''.

The day he'd learned that the man had broken up with her, Naruto had gone directly to him to demand an explanation, man-to-man. The guy even dared to glower at Naruto when he had asked why he'd break up with Sakura. Not that Naruto was fond of the idea of this guy dating _his_ Sakura, but he didn't want her to suffer because of anyone. The blond listened, his arms folded across his chest, and he was honestly surprised by what he heard.

"She is in love with someone else... what other choice did I have?" Hikaru demanded, his voice defensive and harsh. Naruto's immediate thought was that she still wasn't over her love for Sasuke. He gently patted Hikaru's shoulder and murmured a comforting "I know." It was all the compassion he could offer for someone who shared his pain.

Hikaru wanted to strangle him then, and if he'd been more of a fighter than a medic, he would have broken all of the blond's pearly white teeth. The medic took his leave shortly after, storming off in a silent rage.

Naruto and Sasuke contacted the Hokage, who gave them the scroll with their mission order. They didn't need any support as they were powerful enough, and judging by the severity of Sasuke's information, they had to leave immediately.

They traveled quickly and tirelessly to the hide-out that Sasuke had found. Carefully, they entered the dark mouth of the cave. The area within was a myriad of complicated and highly intelligently laid traps. These terrorists were no ordinary thugs. After a slow and cautious progression to keep their presence concealed, they stepped into the main chamber where a large group of mercenary shinobi gathered, seemingly protecting twelve hooded men, forming a circle and chanting in a foreign language.

In the center, standing atop the altar in front of their sacrifice was what seemed to be their leader. A young pregnant woman was bound at her wrists and ankles, and Naruto allowed himself no more time to think as he rushed to stop the blade plunging toward her belly. Sasuke followed close behind him, covering his back and stopping all oncoming attacks directed at his friend. Naruto caught the blade with his bare hand.

The chakra-infused steel tore at his flesh, and just a single drop of blood fell on the woman's white tunic. The sorcerer snatched the blade covered in Naruto's blood and jumped a safe distance away. He glared at Naruto and the brawl around them. The ceremony had failed. He looked back to his blade and with an evil smirk, he told Naruto that he would pay for interfering before disappearing in a circle of light on the floor.

Naruto and Sasuke managed to defeat their opponents and tied them up, leaving it to the interrogation team to find out more about the danger. Once the last shinobi was securely tied up, Sasuke turned his back, ready to leave but his friend was walking in the opposite direction. He saw the blond kneel beside the crying woman and took off his jacket to lay across her shoulders. He lifted her into his arms and joined Sasuke at the exit, who waited for him with a scowl.

"Why don't you let the other team take care of her?" Sasuke asked, knowing that Kakashi had certainly dispatched another team to interrogate the terrorist by that time.

"Come on, Sasuke! She's pregnant. She's in shock. I can't leave her here to wait," Naruto scolded.

"Let me tell you that you have a hero complex... You can't go one day without putting yourself in danger for the sake of another person," Sasuke snarled.

"Bastard! That's why between the two of us, I am the one who'll become Hokage," Naruto countered, his tone just as sardonic as Sasuke's.

They laughed; it was good to work together again.

XXXX

The two friends arrived in Konoha and took the woman, who now slept in Naruto's arms, directly to the hospital. The blond walked toward the nurse's office and asked them if they could make the admission of the unknown woman. The nurse helped him lie her down on a stretcher and assured him that she would be taken care of.

Once everything was settle, Naruto turned toward his friend with a grin. "What do you think if we go grab some Ramen?" he offered.

"No thanks, I have other things to do," Sasuke refused nonchalantly.

Both their heads snapped up to the sound of loud military-like march that was coming toward them. _Nope... Not in a good mood_ thought Naruto before receiving a meteoric slap to the face. His whole body spun right around with the force of impact. Sakura grabbed his collar and hauled him forward, bringing their faces very close. He was able to see the green irises burning with rage.

"Hi Sakura-chan!" he greeted innocently, hoping to quell her thirst for blood.

"How dare you go on a Team 7 mission without me?" she screamed, shaking him violently by the collar, her strength half strangling him. Naruto sighed when her grip relaxed around his shirt and he saw her shoot an angry glare at Sasuke. "And you! Go and see your girlfriend, she is in the examining room 2."

Sasuke did not flinch, not even a tick of his perfect eyebrow.

"Try to be a better boyfriend to her, she will need you." Sakura's voice softened and she smiled. Naruto studied her; it was not a fake smile, and it did not seem sad.

"Is she sick?" Sasuke asked, his expression as blank as usual.

Sakura crossed her arms in front of her, a smirk on her lips. "I wouldn't call that being pregnant a sickness..." Sasuke paused, his jaw open and his eyes wide with shock.

Naruto jumped in the air screaming "Yeah! Another Uzumaki!"

Sasuke punched him hard. "Uchiha!" he corrected.

The blond grinned mischievously at him and returned the punch. "Uzumaki... You haven't married her!"

"It will be an Uchiha!" Sasuke growled and stormed to the room with a snickering Naruto in tow.

They entered the room and Karin beamed at Sasuke as usual. Sakura explained how she had met the red head in Konoha.

"I couldn't allow my teammate's girlfriend to be by herself when her boyfriend just left without any notice." Sasuke apologized and Naruto laughed.

"Hey, I know I am kind of its uncle, can I be its godfather as well?" the blond asked.

"I can't think of a better person!" responded Karin. She liked Naruto a lot and enjoyed having his bright chakra without any darkness around.

A little while later, Naruto and Sakura left the couple. They walked through the hospital and he hesitated before leaving her at the entrance doors.

"Are you ok Sakura-chan?" her blond teammate asked, the concern in his voice plain and obvious. He was having a complete switch in behavior; from teasing Sasuke to this softer, more serious voice just for her.

"It's true that seeing Sasuke felt strange, but I am completely over it now... He is with Karin and soon he will be a father. I'm happy for them," Sakura admitted.

 _Was it true?_ His eyes lingered a little too long on her pensive face. He could never get enough of her, the way she tugged a stray lock of hair behind her ear, the way her lips stretched into a soft smile and her beautiful jade eyes so tender. They reminded him of the village, home, during his favorite time of the year: an eternally green forest, warm and vibrant and so full of life. Naruto cleared his throat when he accidentally met her eyes and the pikette avoided his stare by shifting her gaze to the ground. He knew he was still not welcome enough to interfere in her personal life or risk having a fight with her, so he took his leave under the excuse that he had to deliver a report on the mission to Kakashi.

XXXXX

The spring had given Naruto a new turn in life. His best friend had reinstated himself in the Uchiha compound to ensure that Karin's pregnancy was correctly monitored in Konoha hospital, and Sasuke had married her in a small ceremony. And himself? He was now the happy owner of a replica of his family house. The blond had received the key today and that's how he ended up begging Tsunade for help with buy some furniture. The old woman had always been strict with him as Hokage but she was the closest to a mother figure in his life now.

"Please! I don't have anyone else to help me with that," Naruto pleaded.

"You know..." Tsunade glanced side way to the young man. "This service will cost you a lot," she warned, leaving her spot in her garden to join him for his shopping day. In some ways, she could not leave him alone or his house would be furnished with the bare minimum.

It was tiring, more so than a full day of physical training. The blond ninja nearly regretted having asked for her help as she had tortured him with every detail. They were now searching for the bedding. Tsunade stopped in front of a pricy double bed and declared "This one!"

He pouted. "I don't need such fancy stuff, you know...a single bed is enough."

The busty woman grabbed his jaw, bending him to her eye level. "I said this one! You will need it boy! Trust me! You are not to vow celibacy at such a young age." Tsunade released him. The boy was becoming more and more charming each day, it was impossible that he would stay single for long.

Naruto sighed. "I'm gonna be Hokage in few months, I don't have time for other things, you know." The argument was lost, not even reaching her ears as she ignored him completely.

The blond man had been waiting in his garden for the delivery service to come by when the door rang. He opened the door expecting his furniture and instead found all his friends. They'd all come to visit his new house and help him move in. Naruto had thought of doing it by himself with the help of his clones in the beginning, but it had been so much more fun with everyone. At the end of the day, he let himself fall on his comfy new bed. _Baa-chan had been right..._ It was so good to be on a bed not too small for him! He now had his own house. What a change in life! Naruto smiled to himself before letting his eyes close and his mind drift to sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER CORRECTED THANKS TO SAKIRA-HIMA FOR HER BETA READING WORK  
**

 _ **Thanks to all my reviewers!**_

 _Troa 95: Naruto and Sasuke considere themself as brother. To me after Naruto have saved him, he became the most important person in his life (more than Karin or Sakura), but he will eventually stood in equal love with his child. Naruto is family to him. For Karin, he is apparently still cold, but he will open up a little, she is the mother of his baby after all. For Tsunade and Naruto relationship, it's a special mother and son relationship. She is rought and teasing but she really love him and want him happy. Thank you so much for your support! Everytime I feel down about writing this story, i reread some of your review and I stick in front of my screen to work ;)_

 _Guest 007: Thank you! XD_

 _kumikocr: Naruto is sometime so dense, I laughed too imagining him being all friendly with a fellow guy with the same problem as him, not at all aware that the problem was him... For Sakura, even if she had admit that she love Naruto, she still think that he is dating Hinata. ;) But don't worry, I will take care of one problem at time *evil smirk* lol_

 _Guest: Naruto and Sasuke bicker but they truly care for each other. And Tsunade, she is a strong woman who can handle Naruto. She is as well a mother figure in his life or grand mother as he call her always Baa-chan_

 _Aqua Rules: Sasuke have little contact with Sakura, he actually don't care much about her. She is a friend, but the one that really really count in his life, it's Naruto. So now that Sakura, don't chase him anymore, I don't imagine him seek her out. But Naruto, it's another matter._

 _Narutothegreat: Actually, They are both single, but Naruto think that he is definitely not Sakura type and Sakura think that he is dating Hinata. I love awkwardness in romantic story and misunderstanding too :) Thank you for your support! Please continue to give me your impression on the chapters :)_

 _THANK YOU ALL! Please let me know your though about my work and reviews!_

 **CHAP 14**

Months passed by and before Naruto realized it, his birthday had arrived with the realization of his biggest dream: becoming Hokage.

The day before his coronation had taken its toll on him. Naruto and the guys had thrown a huge party and most of them ended up sleeping over at his new place. Fortunately for them, Lee, who had been forbidden to drink, was first to wake and full of energy, making sure none of them were too late. The taijutsu master crept through the snoozing bodies of his friends. Kiba and Akamaru were sleeping on the carpet; Choji was lying on the couch. Shino was sleeping half-way on the table. He supposed that Shikamaru was in the guest room on the first floor. He climbed up the stairs to wake the guest of honor first. Naruto lay spread-eagled in his bed, still fully dressed from the night before, holding a pillow tightly against his torso. Lee shook him and the blond cracked his cerulean blue eyes open with difficulty.

"What time is it?" he asked groggily, and turned his face toward the alarm clock. "Why didn't you wake me up sooner-dattebayo?!" He jumped to his feet and ran to the shower. Soon enough, with Naruto's raucous and blundering, the whole house was awake and everyone was sprinting for the Hokage tower.

The place was packed at the bottom, it seemed that all the villagers and more were here to celebrate this day along with him. Naruto reached the top, panting hard with the group of friends in tow and Konohamaru handed him his Hokage robe.

The future Hokage looked around at the other Kage, Sasuke with a heavily pregnant Karin and all his other friends that were there. He smiled at his best friend and put on his robe. The blond had barely made it on time and walked over Kakashi who was already waiting for him. His former teacher made a speech and welcomed him on the stage to pass on the Kage hat to him. Cheers erupted from everywhere at the same time, drowning out every other sound, his smile so bright it stretched from ear to ear. Naruto waved at them, thanking them before officially opening the Hokage ceremony festival. After that, he turned around and met with his closest friends, taking many pictures with just about everyone and an official picture with the other Kage as a sign of friendship and peace. Everyone wanted to talk to him and the blond was passed from group to group, bumping fists with Killer Bee, shaking hands with Gaara, and laughing loudly with his childhood friends. It was his day, the day he waited for his whole life.

Naruto saw the discreet couple off to the side and as he excused himself to go and greet them, the red haired woman held her belly with a pained expression and the new appointed Hokage rushed to them. Sakura was already there, her green healing chakra activated.

"What's happened?" Naruto asked worriedly. Sasuke was holding his wife in support and another contraction made her shake violently.

"The baby is coming!" Sakura informed him.

His cerulean blue eyes were wide as saucers. "To-today?" he stuttered.

"I told her not to come, that it would be too much stress for her, and now my son will be born the same day as this idiot!" Sasuke grumbled.

"We have to go to the hospital." Sakura said, easily slipping into medic-mode. Sasuke nodded and lifted his wife into his arms. Naruto made to follow them but Sakura stopped him. "This is your day... you should stay, that can be a really long procedure," she informed him.

Full of his usual bravado the blond retorted: "This is Sasuke's son. I should be there." She didn't insist he stay; there was no point in arguing when his eyes settled like that.

Karin was in labour for many hours and Sakura had at some point needed to throw out the overly zealous blond as he was driving her crazy. Sasuke was calm and collected as usual, but his lips pressed into a thin line, his eyes completely focused on his wife, concern clear in those endlessly black orbs. Showing that much expression was already a lot for the Uchiha and Karin smiled at his rare display of emotion. Night fell, the sounds of the festival muffled by the walls of the hospital. More cries broke from Karin's quivering lips, cutting out the light music; the baby was giving her such a hard time.

It was only at three in the morning that the shrill cries of the newborn resonated in the room. Sakura placed the precious baby in his mother's arms. Karin was close to passing out from the difficulty the little one had given her, but she smiled tenderly when meeting her son for the first time. Her eyes fell upon at her husband. The emotionless mask had finally cracked open and the glint in his eyes was worth the 12 hour torture of giving birth thought the young mother. Karin offered Sasuke the chance to hold his son and he carefully placed his hands around the tiny body to nuzzle the baby against his chest.

Sakura went to retrieve the blond ninja who was pacing back and forth in the waiting room. Naruto jumped on her the second she opened the door, his reflexes as fast as ever. She became exhausted just by seeing him so over excited. _Where on earth was he finding all this stamina?_ She invited him to enter and without waiting a second longer, he rushed inside. She joined them and enjoyed the view of the happy family. Karin and Sasuke were smiling and Naruto... Naruto was Naruto as always; smiling.

The blond was hovering too much around the new father to be ignored. Sasuke sighed, glancing at those expectant blue eyes. "Do you want to hold him?" he asked, though he already knew the answer. The blond extended his arms without hesitation.

"Be careful!" Sasuke threatened.

"Don't worry! I know how to deal with babies," came Naruto's confident answer. Very, very gently, the blond curled his hands around the precious firstborn of his best friend. He cradled the baby expertly against his chest, beaming at the new born.

"Hello! It's me! Uncle Naruto!" He rocked the small bundle tenderly in his arms "We will be great friends, you know. I will teach you many, many things..."

There was something in the very fatherly way Naruto was holding the baby, something so sweet, something so loving; Sakura was hypnotized by the sight. Where was the stupid boy she had grown up with? A man. All she saw was this very mature man with a gentle heart. There was something entrancing about him, in his smile, in the whisker marks on his cheeks, in his smiling eyes... there was something in his loving self that was making her heart beat too loudly to hear anything except the thump against her ribcage.

Naruto saw her looking at him and Sasuke's son. It was way too evident what she wanted. "Do you want to hold him too, Sakura-chan?" the blond offered. She jumped lightly, reacting to the sound of her name more than properly hearing whatever his moving lips had said. "Don't be shy! I saw you staring at him; you wanted to hold him as much as me!" he teased, making her come close enough for her to carry him too. Their arms touched as he carefully passed the baby to her. She looked lovely. _She would make such a good mother_ , he thought. The blond turned to Sasuke to avoid staring at her too intently.

"I wish I could have my own family too," Naruto said enviously.

"Find yourself a girl!" was the straight answer from his best friend.

 _Wait, what about Hinata? Did they have break up?_ she wondered.

"I don't have time for that. I am the Hokage now. But when I'm older, I could always adopt a kid or two from the orphanage," Naruto mused.

She could not bear with her curiosity any longer. "And Hinata?" Sakura asked and he blushed deeply.

 _Did everybody know that Hinata had liked him? The guys and even Sakura had known?_ Naruto thought embarrassedly. "Well... She is getting married, you know." He scratched his cheek at the memory of how she had announced it to him.

Hinata had found him on the training grounds a few weeks ago. They had talked while sitting peacefully together in front of the river, and out of nowhere she had asked him to marry her. She'd turned so red that she nearly passed out and her recovery time gave him some time to overcome his own shock.

After that, she had explained to him that her father wanted to marry her to the son of a powerful family. The Hyuga heiress smiled at him shyly, her eyes so expectant. She told him that if he accepted, she would convince her father to let her marry him. Naruto lowered his eyes, not able to give her a the answer she wanted. He could not lie to himself and the dark haired beauty smiled sadly. She had known, but she wanted no regrets.

"It's fine Naruto-kun."

His eyes searched for hers and he asked her, "Do you love the man you're supposed to marry?"

"There is nobody that I could love as much as I love you. But it's fine, I might find happiness in my family." She replied to him.

He didn't say more. He couldn't say more. He couldn't tell her to wait for him, that his heart might change someday and he wouldn't be able to marry out of love for whatever reason. He had known that their education had been different, that she had grown up in a concept foreign to him, the weight of the Hyuga clan and the sacrifice they were all willing to make for the sake of their family. However, it was her choice. Hinata made the choice to fight for him if he was willing to marry her. But he couldn't. She had kissed him lightly on the lips whispering "the last one!" with a gentle smile after stealing it and she left.

The baby began to cry, visibly searching for milk. The cry pulled Naruto out of his reverie and the young medic gave the son back to his mother.

"I am sure there are plenty of girls after you Naruto-kun. Having your own family is not the same," Karin affirmed, positioning the hungry new born to her breast to feed him.

Naruto blushed again. He could not take the risk to break his precious bond with Sakura by blurting out that he was still too much in love with her to be involved with any girl. The souvenir of the rift in their friendship because of his jealousy toward her boyfriend had taught him well enough to respect certain boundaries with Sakura. So he decide to escape "Maybe..." He let it hang in the open.

Sakura could not help but look at him. She was surprised. Naruto and Hinata were no longer together. She had always thought that Naruto dismissed his fan girls out of fidelity toward the Hyuga heiress. And now, she heard him say ''Hinata was getting married'' and he was considering one of his fan girls as the potential mother of his kids. She felt like strangling him right then. He had been so discreet. This was not about jealousy. No, it was not, Sakura kept telling herself. She did not have the right to feel jealous about a man that considered her as his best friend. But she didn't know about anything. He had hidden everything from her. Was their friendship falling apart as well? So many question chased one another in her head. Why did he and Hinata break up? How many girls had he dated since? Why didn't he tell her anything?

Naruto decided to change the subject to avoid more embarrassing questions. "It is a shame that Naruto junior wasn't born the same day as me!" he teased Sasuke.

"Like Hell my son would have a ridiculous name like yours!" grunted the black haired Uchiha with a menacing look.

"You hurt my feelings! I had thought that as his god-father I could at least choose his name," the blond whined, pushing the joke further. Sakura laughed at their antics.

"What is his name?" she asked Karin gently, ignoring her teammates' bickering. The young mother looked affectionately her new born.

"Kazuhito, the man of peace."


	15. Chapter 15

**_CHAPTER CORRECTED THANKS TO SAKIRA-HIME FOR HER BETA-READING WORK_**

 _Guest 007: Namaste! Thank you for your review_

 _Troa95: Yeah now we are approching the real deal... Now he is single, Hokage and hehe... I made some new event in this chapter to help her wake up! For Kazuhito, I wanted the name to be meaningful. Thank you so much for your support_

 _Danny Ketchum: In my next life, I will be good in english... In this one... I am still in need for a beta reader. Do you want the job? I am really happy that you love the plot and my little coincidence (that are absolutely not coincidence XD). I found it so funny that Naruto and his godson are nearly the same birthday._

 _ramenguy: Thank you... Let's make a deal: I keep the update and you keep telling me what you think ;)_

 _AquaRules: I hope you are fine_

 **CHAP 15**

Being Hokage was not as exciting as people might imagine. His days mostly filled with administrative duties, boring meetings and only a few interesting moments where he felt that his decision was really making a difference for his people. In this peaceful era, his job was to keep tight relations with the other nations and solve any international problems in the fairest way possible. The ninja missions most in demand at an international level now were for complete cooperation. That part was making his life more difficult. Where his predecessors were dealing only with their business, he had to take care of his people and intervene in the global exchange. Fortunately, at least, the war was far behind them and building up the international politics was easier than in the past. Naruto sighed, looking at the mountain of paperwork covering his desk; as usual, he would be out late again tonight.

A cup of coffee was dropped in front of him the next morning. The blond lifted his head to greet his advisor, a piece of paper still sticking to his whiskered cheek. "Good morning, Shikamaru." The strategist shook his head in disapproval.

"You stayed here again," he commented.

Naruto drank a few sips of his coffee, savoring the warm beverage. "It's not like somebody's waiting for me to go back home. I could just stay."

Shikamaru frowned. The blond had been doing that too many times since becoming Hokage. He was just over-doing it, typical from Naruto. He was pushing himself too hard. But this was not like mastering a jutsu. No matter how hard he worked, the blond could not take care of the whole world all by himself. He just wanted to do too much good and Shikamaru was afraid that Naruto was sacrificing too much of himself. Whatever incredible stamina the man possessed, it was impossible that he would last forever at this rate. It had been months since Shikamaru had seen Naruto take some time for himself; the Hokage was here from morning to night except when they went on diplomatic mission.

"Take a break today. Do as you please. Take two hours to get some fresh air. You look terrible. Get out of here and come back for the meeting," the strategist ordered.

The blond opened his mouth to argue that he still had a lot to do but the Nara just shoved him out of the office, threatening to ask Sakura to prescribe him an injection to force him to sleep, if he did not take this break.

That's how Naruto, still in his Hokage robe, was out in the street with two ANBU guards in tow. The blond frowned, noticing the hidden presence of the masked guards. He motioned to call them over. The two guards appeared in seconds. Naruto reminded them that he had no need to be guarded in his own village and even if Shikamaru had ordered them to protect him, he was still the Hokage and his order prevailed. After that, he just walked in the street, letting himself be surrounded by groups of kids and admirers or receiving the warm greeting from the villagers.

His feet stopped instinctively in front of the hospital. It had been months since he got to spend some time with Sakura. He was still seeing her on a regular basis for the general meetings involving the different heads of operation in the village. With her being the head medic, he was always looking forward to having a glimpse of her during those brief moments or when she passed by to drop her weekly medical report off. Naruto walked to the door and before pushing them open, he saw Sakura leading a patient to an examining room. _She was busy,_ he sighed.

Instead, the young Hokage stopped over at the orphanage. All the kids ran up to him. They asked him why he had not come sooner and Myu cried at seeing him back. "I thought you didn't love us anymore!" she said between sobs.

The blond crouched to her level and let her jump in his arms. "I'm very busy now that I am the Hokage, but that doesn't mean that I don't love you. You are all precious to me, you know." He stayed with them a little longer before returning to the Hokage tower.

Entering the large building, he met Shikamaru in one of the long hallways. The strategist gave him his schedule for the day and a briefing of the different subjects on the program. "You have ten minutes before it begins, I will meet you there," he told the young Hokage before parting.

Naruto went back to his office to get some scrolls for the meeting. He was happy to find a snack on his office desk. He must have really looked pitiful to have the lazy Nara bring him a snack. He sat on his chair and gulped down few bites of the food.

Shikamaru glanced impatiently at his watch. Had the idiot fallen asleep again? He excused himself to bring the missing Hokage at the meeting. He barged into the office, and as he had guessed, the idiot had fallen asleep. He walked to the desk and shook Naruto's shoulder to wake him up.

"Oi! We are all waiting for you!"

A shiver ran down Shikamaru's spine. The blond did not move and his normally tan face was drained of color. "Naruto!" he yelled, reaching down to take his pulse and trying to see if he breathed. He saw the snack on the desk and immediately thought of poison. The advisor tried to force Naruto to vomit while screaming for ANBU operatives to help. The ANBU helped him carry the unconscious blond and they jumped at full speed to the hospital.

The door of the hospital crashed open in a loud bang. Sakura rushed out of an examining room to scream at the people making a commotion in her hospital. Then she saw him, his head drooping on Shikamaru's shoulder while the strategist and an ANBU carried him.

"Naruto," she whispered. Her heart stopped and her stomach dropped. Fear seized her. _Not him!_

She yelled orders all at once into the chaos. " Prepare the examination room 2!", "Bring a stretcher!", "I need an OR and medical supplies stat!", while she rushed to her blond teammate.

She lifted his face to get a better look at him. "What happened?" she asked, the worry growing in her chest, noting that his pupil were dilated and his pulse was near null or low.

"I think he was poisoned, something in his food," Shikamaru informed her.

"How long ago? Did you make him vomit?" the medic inquired, placing the blond on the stretcher and trying to intubate him.

"I couldn't," she heard him say, but she understood by looking at his swollen throat. _That was why he could not even breathe!_ She weaved her healing chakra into his system to reduce the swelling and passed the tube to bring air to his lungs. Her heart was beating too loudly. How many times should she have to see him like that? How many times would he make her blood run cold by playing with death? He could not die! She would not let him die! Shikamaru followed her to the examining room. She managed to proceed a stomachal gastric lavage and even after that his condition would not improve. She sent the contents of his stomach to be studied in the labs to find out the poison type and focused all her chakra to keep his organs from failing.

Her sweat was dripping off her forehead; something was wrong, so wrong. She wasn't able to feel his chakra, nor Kuruma's. Generally, she was always somehow able to feel the fox's energy fighting to save his host. But not now. It was like all his chakra connections had been severed. Shizune came rushing back with the results and an anti-poison. Sakura breathed a sigh of relief at seeing the black haired woman.

"I found the poison but there is something more: a virus!" The panic in her voice indicated that it was definitely not up anything good.

"What type of virus?" inquired the head medic.

"A modified chakra virus."

 _Definitely_ _not anything good,_ thought Sakura, understanding the flaw in the chakra system she had felt. "Go get decontaminated!" ordered Sakura, the urgency in her voice sending the staff around her into action, while refusing to move an inch from her patient's side, still pouring an intense flow of healing energy into his damaged system.

"Shizune!" The pinkette yelled, seeing her subordinate bowing her head in sadness.

"The virus had been designed for him. It reacts only to Uzumaki blood and destroys it using his own regenerative power," finished the black haired medic, shedding more tears. _He was so young... and had worked so hard with Tsunade-sama to become Hokage. It was unfair._

The shock of the announcement was immediate on Sakura as she turned pale, her blood freezing in her veins. At this rate, Naruto would die before nightfall. Her eyes drifted to the face of the man she was treating, a lump in her throat suffocating her. She could not lose him. She couldn't. Tears where flooding her jade eyes and the green chakra flow intensified with a force equal to her desperation. She would try whatever it took to save him. _Everything!_

Sakura screamed for the staff to prepare the operating room and the transfusion machine. "Find as much blood as possible to replace his. If there is not enough, make an emergency collection. I'm sure that there are thousands of people who are compatible and ready to save our Hokage."

Shizune rushed out to see that the order was followed through. The operation was risky, but it was worth a try. Shizune was impressed at how Sakura had been able to think about that so quickly. It was not for nothing that Tsunade-sama had accepted her as her only disciple. Shikamaru offered to search for blood donors. He had informed her that politically they could not let leak the information that their Hokage was on verge of death. At that moment, Sakura did not care how or what, the only thing that she wanted was to keep Naruto alive.

The Hokage had been transferred to the operating room and Sakura began the procedure of slowly extracting his blood. The protocol was an experimental one as she needed to avoid mixing the new blood and his own blood. It required really delicate chakra control to extract as much as possible without allowing the organs to fail before replacing it with the new blood. It took them five exhausting hours and fortunately, between the volunteers on the hospital team and the blood donors from the Hokage tower, they got more than enough blood, everyone eager to give more than required to save Naruto.

Shikamaru was waiting outside of the operating room. His face was constricted, tense from waiting for the outcome. He glanced up at the pink haired medic walking out behind the stretcher with the blond Hokage. Her face looked as white as her patient's but she gave him a reassuring smile.

"We had to transfuse his blood completely. The virus will not be able to attack these cells. But it's taken a toll on his body and his chakra connections are severely damaged. However, I believe he will be okay now. I hope his system will be able to fight the remainder of the virus," she explained upon entering the room.

Shikamaru walked over to the stretcher to see his friend. The dark circles under his eyes and the labored breathing showed the terrible state Naruto was in. He would catch whoever had made an attempt on his life, but for now he had to find a way to protect him. The strategist glanced at Sakura.

"Does he need to stay in the hospital for further treatment? We have an expert assassin roaming around freely and there are way too many people around here to make the place safe. I want to know if we can transfer him home where some higher form of security can be established." Shikamaru began formulating a new security stringent, his worry evident and she nodded.

"I understand. I can stay with him and monitor his health," she offered.

 **THANK YOU TO ALL MY REVIEWER...**

 **THOSE THAT GAVE ME ONLY SILENCE:** _I want to share with you this, you are able to make me hate writing. You make me feel unworthy of writing and make me want to stop. May be I should thank you because I have certainly better things to do anyway._


	16. Chapter 16

**_CHAPTER CORRECTED THANKS TO SAKIRA-HIME FOR HER BETA-READING WORK_**

 _Roy0611: Thanks. I hope you will like the new chapter_

 _Guest 007: thanks for the review. Don't worry... he will get well. I just need him a little sick to have Sakura pampering him._

 _ultranx: I am glad that you understood my point of view. Hope you will convey your thought of the story in whatever form you want. I hope you will like the chapter._

 _Aqua Rules:Thanks. I am happy that you like what i have done to them. The moment approached *evil smirk*_

T _roa95: Thank you! I hope you will like how it goes between them_

 _Wen: Thank you for your words. I can do my share and write the story to the end. But please do your share and continue to convey your though of what I have offer._

 _aize 28: thank you! please continue to give me your opinion on my work._

 **CHAP 16**

The Hokage had been very carefully transported to his house and settled in his bed. The head medic thanked the ANBU operatives that had carried him up the stairs and Shikamaru had told her that he would keep her up updated and she'd be among the first to know as soon as they caught the culprit. The strategist had an idea. Having Naruto leave the hospital was actually a good move for setting a trap. He had planned to ask Konohamaru to transform into a fake Naruto and pretend to be him to lure out the assassin.

Sakura closed the door securely behind the strategist as he left and went to Naruto's kitchen to help herself to a small snack. The day had been exhausting and she hadn't had the chance to eat anything. She needed to replenish her energy to be able to continue treating him. She opened the fridge with little hope out of habit and was surprised to find that the man had finally evolved and had stocked some fruits and vegetables in it. She prepared a light meal and went back up to check on her patient. The medic sat on the bed to control his state. After that, she would sleep in one of the guest rooms for a short while. But her nap was quickly forgotten, when she felt that Naruto had a fever coming on. She spent the night trying to cool down his body temperature and help him fight the infection with a constant flow of chakra.

The light on the night stand bathed the room in a soft light. Sakura replaced the cold pad on his forehead, but the fever wouldn't break. Her eyes drifted to his tee-shirt, completely drenched in sweat. She stood up and went to his closet to search for a dry one. Everything was well ordered and she easily found what she was searching for, before returning to the sleeping man. She passed her arms under his back and gently lifted him up. His body was burning hotter than a furnace, and he leaned on her, his neck slack; letting his head rest on her shoulder. She pulled up the wet material and her movements were enough to make him regain consciousness. Heavy eyelids barely opened revealed his cerulean blue eyes, and with a voice hoarse from the previous intubation he said "Sakura-chan?" She jumped slightly, not having expected that he would wake anytime soon.

Jade eyes met tired blue and she smiled; it was a good sign, even if his body was completely limp against her own and devoid of any energy. She answered him tenderly but his eyes lost focus, his head found his original place on her shoulder. She passed a wet towel over his torso to clean him up a bit. It was a little perturbing for her, doing that while he wasn't completely unconscious, feeling his hair tickling the skin of her neck and his excessive warmth seeping through her clothes. Her hand traveled down his lean but muscular torso from his neck to below his belly button until the waist band of his pants, and then from his shoulder to his hand.

She changed positions so she could reach his back. He was so much bigger than her now and without her chakra, she had some difficulties holding him. He was half lying on her, his body slack and her hand passed along his spine to his lower back and up again to his shoulder. His breathing was labored. She herself felt so much warmer at having him against her. She swore that it had nothing to do with his exposed skin and his perfectly V shaped body.

Once she'd finished, she helped him lie back down on the mattress. His head touched the pillow and he closed his eyelids, falling into a deep slumber as if he had held on tight until that moment. Sakura stayed all night, watching over him and treating him with healing chakra to help him fight the infection. When the fever went down a bit, her body naturally relaxed and the medic finally fell asleep near him, one hand still on his chest, dutifully pouring chakra into his system.

When she opened her eyes again, the sun was high up in the sky, the clear white light too bright for her tired eyes. Sakura turned off the night lamp and began to check on the sleeping man beside her. He still had a fever but not nearly as dangerous as the night before. She would still need to change his clothes again. She took his pulse and his heartbeat was normal, but the scan she did to test the chakra connections demonstrated no chakra flow. Naruto stirred, half opening his eyes as if they were made of lead. Sakura greeted him with a smile. He was a bit more conscious than last night but still completely disoriented.

"How do you feel?" she asked.

He tried to lift himself up and his head fell back onto the pillow. "Exhausted... What happened to me?"

His eyes searched for her, and she hesitated; she didn't know how to say it. "You've been poisoned. you nearly died yesterday."

Naruto looked up at the ceiling, letting the information sink in. "A good night's sleep and I should be able to go back to work," he joked, trying to lift himself up again.

The pinkette caught him before he fell back and helped him to a sitting position. His head was spinning, and he didn't need to be a doctor to know that something was wrong with him.

"Naruto." Her tone was serious. "Someone tried to kill you." She wanted him to understand that his safety, his life, was on the line. "Someone went as far as creating a chakra virus specifically for you," Sakura told him, so that he knew that it was not just poison. He clenched his hand and turned to sit on the side of his bed to stand up. He took his time to adjust to the dizzy sensation in his head.

"Whoever he was, he failed!" he proclaimed proudly. With sheer willpower, he lifted himself up but his wobbly legs did not hold him long. She supported him, ready to help him back to bed. But he smiled at her, a little embarrassed by his request. "Can you help me reach the bathroom?"

The medic placed an arm behind his back and he supported himself on her shoulder. They walked very slowly and as usual Naruto impressed her. He was relying only on his willpower, no chakra was involved in his capacity at standing up by himself. The man had been nearly dead the day before and was still fairly sick. But he was trying his hardest, step by step. His teeth were clenched, and he was trying not to put too much weight on her.

Arriving at the bathroom door, he extended his hand to lean on the wall and dismissed her, a little hue of pink on his sickly pale face. So she waited behind the closed door, ready to help him back into the room. Sakura was wondering what was taking him so long, when she heard the sound of the shower running. He must have realized at some point that his clothes were drenched in sweat. She relaxed against the wall, resting her head on the hard surface and closed her eyes for just few seconds before hearing a loud bang, the sound made by a falling body.

"Naruto!" she screamed, and she barged in, rushing to the shower.

His head was a mess of blood and she crouched on the floor to tend to the new wound. If she hadn't been so preoccupied with his bloody head, she would have certainly noticed his complete nakedness. But for him, it was different... As soon as he opened his eyes again, Sakura was nearly on top of him and he was suddenly overly self-conscious of his state of undress; her hand in his hair and her wet clothes sticking to her body and much too close for the health of his sanity. The blond cleared his throat not really trusting his voice to hide any sign of his perverted thoughts.

"Can you pass me a towel?" he asked rather calmly. And it hit her, hard. He was naked!

She refused to make eye contact with him, finding the faience strikingly beautiful suddenly, she shut off the spray of water that was still falling on them and turned her back to him. He put the towel she handed him around his waist, and hearing him move, she rapidly glanced to see if he was decent before turning completely to help him.

The pinkette placed her arms around his torso and helped him up. He would have liked to be able to walk by himself, to not look so weak in front of her. But his body was failing him. She directed him to his bed and pulled a set of pajamas out of his closet. When she turned around, she saw him, hand extended to receive his clothes, eyes locked on the ground and a light pink blush on his cheeks. He was so adorably cute, all vulnerable and embarrassed like that.

"Thank you. I can do it myself, you can take whatever you like for you," he told her when she dropped the clothes in his hand. She looked down to her own state of dress; she was wet and covered in his blood. _Damn! Those cuts in the head bled so much_. Fortunately, she had been able to close the wound. Without his chakra to protect him, he was as defenseless as any other normal human being.

Sakura took out a tee shirt and a pair of shorts from his closet and went to change in another room. Regrettably for her, it was not just an impression that he was bigger than her... The evidence was glaring; the shorts practically fell off her hips and his tee-shirt hung to her mid-thigh. Not having any other options, she kept his shirt on and went back to check on him. She knocked on the door before entering and she found him already lying in bed.

His eyes locked on hers and she felt really uncomfortable with only his shirt on. As she moved toward his bed, he closed his eyes. He was surely exhausted. The medic sat herself on the edge and touched his forehead. The fever was up again. She positioned her hand and poured her healing chakra, this time his temperature went down and he seemed to regain some color in his face. After an hour of treatment, she went to the other room to take a short nap.

The doorbell woke her up and the pinkette went down to open the door, completely forgetting her state of dress. Maybe Shikamaru had some good news. However, it was not the visitor she'd expected. It was Hinata. Hinata was there with a worried look on her aristocratic face. The Hyuga heiress inquired immediately about Naruto's well-being.

"He's sleeping; he has a fever, but he is getting better. How did you know? This is supposed to be a secret," Sakura told her.

"I saw through Konohamaru's disguise as Naruto's replacement, so Shikamaru got to tell me the truth," she confessed. The medic sighed.

"Is he really safe with this plan?" the Hyuga heiress apologized for making her worry. "It's just... I can always t-tell who the real Naruto is," she stuttered. The black haired woman looked the pinkette up and down, at her messy hair and wearing nothing but one of Naruto's shirts... _could it be?_ She turned crimson and Sakura looked down at herself, wondering what could have caused the abrupt change of attitude in Hinata. She understood her misunderstanding.

"Haha!" Sakura laughed embarrassedly. "I ruined my clothes, I'm just borrowing Naruto's shirt until mine are clean."

The young heiress nodded, not commenting more. "Can I go and see him?" she asked timidly. Sakura led her up to his room and checked his temperature. He woke up at her touch and she informed him that he had a visitor.

The medic let the Hyuga heiress in and excused herself to prepare some food. The blond tentatively asked for a Ramen and Sakura refused bluntly. Hinata walked to the bed timidly and sat on the side. He smiled at her, sitting up resting against his pillow.

"Don't cry! I'm not dead, you know," he joked, taking her hand within his to comfort her.

"Naruto-kun," she said, and dried the traitorous tears on her cheeks, smiling at him squeezing her hand. "I was so worried when Shikamaru told me that you were poisoned. I came immediately."

Her eyes lingered on his pale face, the dark circles under his eyes and the smile he wore to reassure people. She had learned how to read all his expressions over the years, she had learned every detail of his features by heart. That's how she was able to recognize him even in the middle of thousands of his clones. That's how she was able to know that he was not feeling as well as he pretended to be with that smile.

She caressed his cheek lovingly. "Naruto-kun, you don't have to pretend in front of me. Tell me if I can do anything for you."

His hand covered hers for a brief instant, relishing in the tenderness of her touch. "I'm fine Hinata," the blond reassured her and he smiled.

Her throat tightened; she felt like crying again. He was so brave. He always put everyone's well-being before his own. He was always ready to endure any pain for the sake of others. So kind. It was too unfair that someone had tried to kill him. How can anyone want to harm him was beyond her comprehension. She leaned forward and embraced him in a gentle hug. He was so warm: his fever was high and she was bothering him. She was a ninja, she should endure too. She shouldn't burden him anymore, he had enough to deal with and didn't need to strain himself with looking strong for her when he was sick.

"Naruto-kun. You can count on me anytime." He patted her hair reassuringly and she straightened up to offer him a smile.

Sakura was waiting outside the room, hiding herself in the corridor. Her hands was shaking slightly. She had brought him some soup and found them in each other's arms. It was such an intimate gesture that she had instinctively jumped back before they could spot her and hid herself. Her heart was hurting. No matter how much time passed, she wasn't over him yet. She heard the Hyuga heiress wish him a good recovery and Sakura thought it was safe enough to bring in his soup before it got cold. Hinata turned toward the pinkette and Sakura could not ignore their joined hands. It pained her.

"I made you soup, you should try to eat a little at least," the medic recommended to her patient. He nodded obediently, thanked her for her effort and accepted the tray. Hinata took that moment to leave. She did not want to be a hindrance to his recovery.

Sakura walked her to the door and the Hyuga heiress bowed, thanking her for having saved him. The medic brushed off the thanks, telling her that she had only done her job. Naruto was her teammate and their Hokage, she would not have let him die no matter what. Hinata insisted on telling her that, even if anything happened to make it otherwise. It was clear for Sakura that Hinata still loved him very much, but what about him? Maybe he was still in love with her and Hinata had married someone else only out of obligation.

XXXXXX

Sakura braced her hands on her hips, seeing that the blond had abandoned the tray of food and had gone straight back to sleep. She sat on the side of the bed and shook him. "You need to eat!" she admonished. He pouted.

"I am not hungry and it hurt my stomach," he whined.

"Do you want me to feed you with a IV?" _He really does hate needles, I touched the right nerve._

Naruto took the tray and began to eat, but his sour face indicated that he was not faking his pain. She leaned toward him and asked him to open his mouth. His throat was a little swollen, she suspected an inflammatory reaction. She placed her hand on his belly and he didn't feel quite right. The green light stopped.

"The poison has burned part of your stomach, that's how the virus was propagated so fast in the damaged parts." Sakura went to retrieve a bottle with a white liquid from her medical bag. "Drink that, it should ease the pain."

The blond obeyed, even if the stuff tasted like grounded stone in a bitter juice. She pushed away the tray and worked her healing chakra to restore the cells. He looked at her. She must not have rested a lot... the dark circles under her eyes were nearly as bad as his. She must be exhausted from having to constantly treat him.

"I feel better now, you can stop Sakura-chan," he lied, but she did not move.

"Just a little more," she informed him. After few minutes she sighed. "You can have a nap for now. In an hour, you should be able to eat a little more."

She stood up, stretching her arms above her head and walking toward the door, forgetting that she was only wearing his shirt. He really appreciated the sight of her long, svelte legs and snapped his head up when she turned around. "Don't underestimate me or my chakra reserves! I know when you're fine and when you're not. I'm your doctor." She closed the door behind her. She had seen right through him. It was sometimes a pain to know each other so well that they could see through one another's lies.

Sakura came back the next hour to be sure that he had eaten and found him still asleep. The covers were tossed half way onto the floor and he was holding his pillow against his chest tightly. He seemed to be able to move more already. She looked at his face; the blond had regained some color. It was really good. She was so glad that her experimental treatment had worked so well and that he was recovering faster and faster as his body was fighting the virus. She just needed to help him get better and to find a way to regenerate his chakra connections. Naruto was sleeping so soundly that she didn't have the heart to wake him. She positioned herself behind him and placed her hand on his back to continue his treatment, hoping to make the fever recede completely.


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER CORRECTED THANKS TO PrincessRima313 my beta reader**

Troa95: Don't worry, I do not forget you for christmas and you will have your gift ;) Thank you very much for your support. I really really thank you for all your kind words. As you wait for my mail for my new chapter, I am waiting for your review. I should definitly add you in my special thanks for this story to have continu. An Author without reader, is like a book without words, it have no meaning to exist. Thank you to make me exist. You are one of the few that make this writing in english experience less painful.

ultranx: thank you to have been here for me! :) I hope you will continue to like the story

Aqua Rules: It's building up! It's building up! You guess right! fun time is coming *evil smirl* I hope you will enjoy it!

 _I want to say... I am sure that there is author too that read my story. Don't you remember how you feel when you do not have feed-back?_

 _Those that are not author. I will tell you one little secret of author. We need you to exist. Silence is killing writer. I don't know for the others, but at least you killed me._

CHAP 17

In the middle of the afternoon she heard a noise downstairs. Silently with her ninja abilities, she walked her way down to surprise her potential opponent. She saw a figure in the kitchen... the assassin was trying again to poison his food. She jumped on the culprit and locked her arms behind her back earning a cry of pain.

"Who are you? Who sent you here?" She asked aggressively.

"Na-Naruto-sama... I am his housekeeper... I have a letter to prove it... in my pocket" the woman stuttered.

Today had been a hectic day, first those masked men, and now a woman. Sakura retrieved the letter and opened it. It had been written by Naruto, she could recognize his handwriting; she didn't even need the Hokage seal at the bottom of it.

 _I, Naruto Uzumaki, 7_ _th_ _Hokage, allow Momoe Nakura to enter and go out of my house at all times as she see fit. All forms of violence or force against her will be reprimanded or punished severely._

 _Hokage order from Naruto Uzumaki._

Sakura released her arm lock but didn't let her defense down. She is still suspicious of anyone entering his house just after the poisoning incident. Sakura studied the woman from head to toe to judge the level of danger, but at the way she was carrying herself she seemed to be a civilian.

Momoe smiled friendlily at the pinkette. "By chance are you Naruto-sama's girlfriend?" Momoe asked, seeing the woman in front of her lightly dressed with only her master's shirt on.

Sakura realized that the woman arrived at that conclusion because of her clothing. "No! I am just his friend..." Sakura corrected, not wanting to mention to her that she was his doctor and he was actually sick. _Top secret information_.

"Naruto-sama is here?" The woman inquired.

The brunette immediately got her answer by hearing the male voice coming from the bottom of the stairs. "Hey! Momoe good to see you!"

Sakura lifted a dark glare to the smiling blond on shaky legs holding the wall for support.

"Naruto-sama! You're sick!" Commented the house-keeper going instinctively toward him.

"You are not supposed to leave your bed!" Sakura rebuked him coming by his side not letting this stranger too close to him without protection. Even if she had his letter they still had a dangerous assassin running free.

"I just heard Momoe scream, I didn't want you to kill her thinking she was an intruder... She is my housekeeper... I forgot to tell you that she was coming today." The blond informed her.

Sakura nodded. "It's fine, I saw the letter..."

Momoe studied him, which was getting on Sakura nerves. "I didn't know you were sick, I would have brought something to cook you a good meal with. I was sure that you would fall sick one day, working like you do all the time." The brunette berated him gently.

"It's just a small virus... but I should go to bed or my doctor will kill me." He joked looking at the dark aura surrounding Sakura.

Naruto moved slowly, his body wobbling. Sakura secured her arms around his torso to support him then, helped him back to bed.

Momoe followed them and entered the room naturally, running to the bed to arrange the sheets and the pillow before the blond reached it. "Do you want me to cut some fruit for you?" She offered while the Hokage lied down.

Sakura, suspicious, refused bluntly. "All food served will be prepared by me."

The woman was taken aback by the harsh answer. Naruto decided to calm the situation. "Can you take care of the laundry please?" he asked nicely. The woman nodded, smiling at him, and went straight to the bathroom to retrieve the basket.

Sakura frowned at him. "You shouldn't let anyone close to you at a time like this." she lectured him.

Naruto made himself comfortable on the pillow. This little walk down and up the stairs had made him exhausted. He closed his eyes. "No, it's fine... I trust her... and I am sure that you will protect me from anyone else. You were ready for a kill when I came down." The blond joked tiredly, his conscious slipping away.

Sakura stayed alert the whole time the woman was here, keeping a discreet surveillance of all her movement. The good part was that the housekeeper took care of all the laundry, hers included. The head- had planned to do it this afternoon, but a nap had been more tempting than dealing with the washing machine. Seeing the house-keeper work made her understand how her teammate was able to have such a clean house even being single and over-worked. The brunette was thoroughly dedicated to her job. It was showing how much she liked the Hokage. _Was it really because he was Hokage? No... Naruto is just so likeable..._

Sakura took her place near the blond, when she saw Momoe take the direction of Naruto's room. Momoe placed all the perfectly ironed and folded clothes in his closet and turned to the pinkette. "I suppose it is yours." She said, giving her a pile with her perfectly folded clothes.

"Huh, yeah... thank you!" Sakura felt a little bad; this person didn't seem that dangerous.

Momoe looked over from Sakura to the sleeping blond. "It's better that he is resting well. Tell him goodbye for me!"

Sakura nodded and accompanied her to the door. "Please take good care of Naruto-sama!" Momoe asked bowing down politely.

Sakura accepted, saying it was her job but she got herself curious. "He is important to you?"

The woman nodded, call it feminine intuition, but the way the pinkette tried to protect him showed how much she cared too. "He is my benefactor... I own him a lot. He saved my son and me, he gave me a place to live and found me a job. He even offered to be the godfather for my son when he learned that all my family had been killed. I own him so much that I don't know how to begin to repay him." she replied honestly.

 _Typical from Naruto_ , Sakura thought. "So if he is that important to you, keep it a secret that you saw him sick here." With that, they parted way and she closed the door securely.

Sakura rapidly checked on Naruto and got changed. A little after, he sleepily opened his eyes. He was feeling a bit better as he told her when the medic brought him his soup. His stomach was less irritated and the blond managed to eat some of it. He pushed away the tray and the pinkette looked at him with a frown. He was so pale he needed really energy to recover.

The medic insisted that he should eat more and took his spoon to feed him. Naruto was really not hungry, however he couldn't pass on the chance to be spoon fed by Sakura. He enjoyed her way of blowing on his spoon to cool down the liquid. Her pink lips were so lovely. He obediently opened his mouth when she presented him the food. He might have liked the hospital more if she had been that gentle when he was there. Being a sick Hokage was kind of good thing, if it meant that Sakura was taking care of him personally. After his meal, she treated him again with another cession of healing chakra and let him sleep.

The sun had set when Sakura heard the door ring again. For someone who wasn't supposed to be here, her patient received a lot of visitors, she thought while going to the door. The medic found herself in front of a fake Naruto, Shikamaru and Tsunade. Shikamaru informed her that nothing suspicious had been going on in the Hokage tower. Konohamaru changed back to his normal form and asked if he could see Naruto. Tsunade was informed by Shizune of the Hokage modified chakra virus case and had did some research for possible treatments. The two medics stayed down in the living room to discuss the research while the guys went up to see the blond.

Naruto had more or less been awake the last hour, drifting to sleep sometimes and opening his eyes lazily some other. His eyes took a lively expression seeing his two friends and he pulled himself up to a sit resting against his pillow.

Konohamaru was the first one to talk, Shikamaru one step behind, observing and evaluating the Hokage's wellbeing. "How are you Nii-san?" the teenager asked worried.

"Good! For once I'm not stuck in that damn hospital... there are some good points being the Hokage, I can have my private doctor coming to my house to take care of me." Naruto joked.

"Playing the Hokage for a day, makes me want to give up on my wish to become Hokage." Commented the younger ninja.

Shikamaru had forgotten to tell him not to mention the plan. He mentally wished that Naruto wouldn't understand. Naruto glared at him and the strategist made a note to strangle the kid later. _Naruto got the hint... why for once could he not be as dense as usual_.

"You transformed in me?" Naruto asked as confirmation glancing up to the strategist behind. _Yep, he had to guess the whole thing_ , the Nara thought inwardly.

"We are just trying to keep appearances until you get better. As a political move..." The strategist hoped beyond hope that he would buy it. Naruto smiled, a fake smile. He was no longer a naive teen.

"Stop this mascaraed right away! Konohamaru will not take my place as the target of the assassin. Hokage's order!" The tone was firm and serious.

"Naruto... We have to catch the culprit!" Shikamaru pleaded, "Konohamaru volunteered to help, you can't force us to obey when we all just want to protect you..."

Naruto's defiant eyes locked with his strategist. "I said no!" Naruto repeated in his Hokage tone, not wavering in his decision.

"Damn! Naruto! You are the Hokage now! We can't let your life be at risk! Can't you understand that?" Shikamaru yelled, "You are too important for this alliance. If you fall, the peace will crumble with you." He insisted.

"I'm risking nothing Naruto-Nii-san... the virus they created won't do anything and we already have the counter-poison ready. Shizune-san is in the Hokage tower if anything happens." Konohamaru tried to reason with him.

"I won't let any of my friends die for me!" His decision was final.

"You are too troublesome! You can blame me as much as you like when you get back. I have the support of the former Hokage and as your strategist, I'll take the command until then." Shikamaru left the room, pissed off. _The years have not calmed the idiot down and if he could not think for the best of Konoha, I will do what I have to_.

Sakura and Tsunade looked at Shikamaru questioningly when he passed by the living room. He turned to Sakura. "Do not let him leave this place! Do whatever it take, drug him, knock him out... his security is at stake and he is taking it too lightly."

Sakura nodded and he left the house.

The two medics went up to find their patient agitated. Konohamaru was trying to pacify him.

"The Hokage is the one protecting his people, not the other way around." Naruto grunted to the teen that was still trying to convince him.

Tsunade crossed her arms in front of her ample chest. "Really?" She asked, lifting up a perfect eyebrow, "I can clearly remember more than one time when you protected me with your life when I was Hokage."

The blond looked down pouting. "It's not the same..." He mumbled.

Tsunade smirked. "Just when we first met. You were barely thirteen years old when you stood up for me in front of Orochimaru."

The former Hokage walked up to him and sat on the bed. She took his jaw with her hand to make him look at her. Their eyes met. "Stay alive to be the leader we all want you to be... but for now, you just have to get better." She looked up at Konohamaru. "Can you leave us? We have to work on him..."

The brown-haired ninja said goodbye to his friend and Sakura accompanied him to the door.

Tsunade kissed Naruto's forehead affectionately and released his jaw. She couldn't let her little blond boy stay sick. She informed him that he might not like this experimental treatment but it was his best chance to get his chakra system activated. The blond nodded at her explanation and she asked him to take off his shirt.

"Whatever it takes!" He accepted.

Sakura reentered the room with the bag and the books Tsunade had come with. Tsunade ordered him to lie on this belly and to not move an inch; out of her bag she grabbed some very long needles. Sakura opened the page with the description of the operation. Each needle had to be planted in very specific spot. They used their healing chakra to locate the damaged convergence point. One after one, the chakra activated needles were plunged deep into the tissue and when all of them were deep-rooted, Sakura activated a larger flow of chakra to be channeled directly to those specific points.

To be honest, needles were already not his forte, but this... this hurt like hell!

After a first session of twenty minutes, Tsunade stood up. They had to let him rest. "Don't roll on your back!" Advised the older woman while leaving.

"I will be right back." Sakura informed him.

The young medic accompanied her master down. The former Hokage praised her for the job she had done so far. Naruto would certainly have died without her. The pinkette blushed and listened to the other instructions from her master. The night was already here and Sakura looked at the moon in the sky. She was tired. The operation had taken quite a while to do and she really hoped that it would help him. The young woman closed the door and climbed up the stairs. Naruto was laying still, head hidden in his pillow and all those long needles were making him look like a porcupine. They had one hour to rest before the next session.

"Are you ok?" Sakura asked.

The blond nodded, face pressed in his pillow. She was able to note that the muscles in his jaw were tight and his body tensed. Sakura sat nearby him; her hand caressed his hair in a comforting way. For now, it was all she could do.

The second session was even more painful; it was as if all his nerves were on fire. He bit hard on his pillow, muffling the sound of his painful cries. It was excruciating. By the time the medic finished, they were both exhausted. The needles were securely put into their bag and she positioned herself to ease his pain with some healing chakra. The light green glow was soothing and Sakura heard him exhale loudly finally releasing the grip on his pillow. Naruto turned his head to breathe more comfortably, some tears still attached to his eyelashes on his closed eyes.

XXX

Sakura felt so comfortable. It was so warm and soft. She liked the feeling, the smell, and the skin under her finger... _the skin under her finger?_ Her eyes wide open. She was eye level with his Adams apple. Her hand is on his bare chest, she is enclaved in a warm, delightfully tight embrace. But as if the situation was not embarrassing enough, their legs were all tangled up, with his encircling her on the top and a very clear morning arousal poking her belly. Her cheeks became crimson and she tried to untangle herself.

Her movements made her hips rub his long member and she heard him moan in his sleep. This must have been a trigger to some erotic dream because he began the soft, deep sway of hips, making himself rub more against her and those little moans that escaped from his parted lips where so sensual... Sakura felt her inner core melt into lava. It was as if all her senses were on alert, her nose got attacked by his male musky perfume, her fingers burned from the silky sensation of his skin underneath, her ears engrossed by the entrancing sound of his excitation and her eyes couldn't find anywhere to focus completely surrounded by him. She felt a hand traveling along her spine, sending shivers throughout her body and an army of butterflies invaded her belly.

The hand stopped on her ass grabbing the tender curve softly. She couldn't manage to muffled a ''yelp'' of surprise when the hand pushed her tighter against his hard arousal. Cloudy eyes opened still daydreaming... "Sakura." He focused a bit more "Sakura?" and it hit him "Sakura-chan!"

He rolled-jumped out of the bed in full panic and ran for his life to the nearest exit. He tripped over his feet in his panic and crashed against his corridor wall. She composed herself as fast as she could and went to see the wounded blond outside. He was already bleeding, there was just no way she could punch him.

He immediately prostrated himself on the floor without looking at her. "I am sorry... I didn't do it on purpose… I was asleep!" He braced himself for the punch that he was sure to receive.

She crouched up at his level and healed the back of his head. "Don't give me more work! Go back to bed..." Sakura simply ordered him before going to the bathroom for a long cold shower. The blond stayed few seconds, astonished, she didn't even yell at him. Being a sick Hokage was really making the difference.

The pinkette came back to him as calm as ever in her perfect medic mode. Naruto looked sheepishly at her, waiting to be scolded. But she just took note of his fever, his pupil reaction, his pulse and she checked his chakra system. She was satisfied to see some spark to it. The treatment was working. Overlooking his general health, her patient was way much better and the fever was nearly gone.

"I am going to make you some breakfast before your needle treatment." Sakura informed him before leaving.

During her auscultation, he didn't say a word. She didn't look at him in the eyes except with a powerful light that was blinding him to see his pupil. But he admitted that it was quite awkward, waking up in full arousal with her in his arms instead of his pillow. The blond really had thought that it was the last day of his life, but what a feeling to have her in his arms! Better not to try his luck by saying anything stupid, to not get on her bad side today. Naruto used the time she was in the kitchen to take his shower. He was feeling so much better today. He was able to stand and walk by himself without feeling all wobbly or having his head spinning around. His body was still feeling stiff, achy and tired, but nothing compare to the first day.

Sakura found him sitting on his bed, with only his pants on, his hand busy drying his hair with a towel. He had really made her become a pervert. She was not able to look at him without having some very inappropriate thoughts crossing her mind. She put down the tray of food on his nightstand, then focused her attention on arranging the needles for the procedure. The pinkette glanced at him; Naruto was eating his rice and his fish with some appetite. It was good that he was hungry again, he didn't eat much the previous days, and he needed to gain some energy.

He looked to be in better condition, his skin was less pale. But all she could think after the ascertainment was the silkiness of his skin. For someone that had been in so many battles, it was so unusual, his skin was flawless, soft as one of a new born baby. Sakura never had experienced it that way before, always just patching him up with a bandage. It was impressive that his healing ability has kept him scar-less. The medic tried to concentrate on the medical book, but she wanted to touch him so badly and her heart was beating so loudly that she was sure he could hear it.

When Naruto finished, he dropped his chopsticks and positioned the tray on his nightstand. He looked at her, she was intently reading the book, certainly something horribly complicated about medicine as her brown were knitted in concentration. The blond lied down on his belly and dove his face in his pillow getting ready for his torture session. Her hand traveled his back, searching for the correct location to insert the needle. Fewer needles were needed today as some part of his chakra system was reactivated. Sakura evaluated that he would need another day to have most of them active, so eight sessions in total.

The two sessions left them exhausted. However, the pinkette still eased his pain with some healing chakra before leaving him for a small nap. The day continued peacefully, as uneventful as possible, avoiding all situations that could have lead her head to wander too much in the wrong direction.

At the third session of the day, when she was placing the needles, the abrupt and unexpected visit of her former teacher materializing out of nowhere through the window, had made her jump out of her skin and earned a muffled scream from Naruto.

"Yo! Seems you are having some fun activities in here." Kakashi entered the room and patted the blond's head. "How is he doing?" He asked her, seeing that the blond was not going to move his head out of the pillow anytime soon.

Sakura calmed her ragged heart. _Were the ANBU were really securing the place or could anyone enter and go as they pleased? This was Kakashi... he must have outsmarted them._

"He is recovering! However we are in the middle of a difficult procedure. Could you wait half an hour?" She requested.

Kakashi accepted gladly and gently ruffled the blond's hair. "Yeah sure! Don't mind me! I have some reading to do..."

The gray-haired man leaned against the wall in the corner and pulled out his infamous book. Sakura continued to insert the needles and proceed with the chakra channeling. Naruto grunted, muffling his pain until the medic exhaled deeply, finishing the first flow of chakra. The pinkette straightened herself and patted his head to signal him that the first round was finished.

Kakashi lowered his book and came to sit near the pillow. "It is far from any fantasies involving a private nurse." he whispered to the blond man ear low enough to not get caught by Sakura. Naruto nodded in his pillow.

"So what's the news?" Inquired the pinkette.

Kakashi smiled showing only a curvy smiling eye to guess his visage expression. "No news, I just came by to visit my favorites students..."

As detached from everything as Kakashi had always pretend to be, Team 7 had been his only students and she knew how much he cared for each one of them. She felt grateful for all his teachings and mostly made them discover the power of their bond.

"I brought you some books in case you get bored all by yourself." The gray haired shinobi announced to the boy.

The blond finally turned his head out of his pillow and looked at said books. "I have already read these... I had been forced to proof read the whole collection for Pervy-sage." Naruto said with a strained voice from the lingering pain.

Kakashi stayed with them for the whole break hour, talking about everything and nothing, the subject of the assassin never close to being broached. When she told him that they were going for another session, he wished good luck to his students and took his leave from the window.

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	18. Chapter 18

**_CHAPTER CORRECTED THANKS TO BATTLEMAGE ABK FOR THE BETA READING_**

 _MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! MY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS GIFT TO YOU!_

 _Troa 95: Thank you so much for your review and your PM. It was so so nice! I am so glad that you enjoyed this story! I feel so often frustrated and sad to not be able to reach my reader, that having you is a balm to my heart._

 _ultranx: They might skip the talking by now ;) *perverted smirk*_

 _Yojimbra: It break and not so little... enjoy it!_

 _maxslayer10: tackle naruto... yeah baby!_

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 _Thank to those that have reviewed! The silent one are just killing slowly but surely a potential ffn writer (at least in english)._

 **FROM NOW ON BE PREPARED! THIS STORY IS A RATED M THIS IS FOR A VERY GOOD REASON. PEOPLE UNDER 18 SHOULD NOT CONTINUE. I WILL NOT REPEAT THIS WARNING IN THE OTHER CHAPTERS.**

 **LEMON! LEMON! LEMON!**

 **CHAP 18**

The sound of the shower woke her up the next morning as she had kept the door of her room open to stay alert in case anything happened. He had been very discreet, she thought for herself, she didn't even hear him move around and without the low noise of shower, she wouldn't have noticed at all. She looked at the window, the sun was barely rising. Why the hell was he up so early? She was tempted to go back to sleep, but her duty called her to check on her patient first. She waited for him to leave the bathroom and stretched her hands above her head lazily before waking up. For once, she had managed to not fall asleep on his bed and even to change for the night to one of his t-shirts to be comfortable. She yawned and walked in through the open door. Her head followed the sound of the fumbling noise and she saw him in a long white towel around the hips searching for clothes in his closet.

"You're up early? Something wrong?" she asked.

He smiled at her. She looked gorgeous with her disheveled hair and his t-shirt. He shouldn't look at her if he wanted to keep his libido down, was his thought. So he kept searching for his clothing instead while answering.

"I feel perfectly fine actually! Thank you Sakura-chan, your treatment really helped a lot".

She saw him throw on his bed an orange pant and a black shirt... not his pajama?...and the last item, telling her clearly where he was thinking to go... his Hokage robe.

"What do you think you are doing?" She asked angrily stomping down the room until she was just nose to nose with him.

"I feel good...you know" he tried, thinking that it was the only justification he needed to give. Generally when he was on his two feet at the hospital, he was able to leave the place.

"Pull out a pajama and go back to bed! Your treatment isn't finished yet!" she practically growled with an imperious finger pointed towards the bed.

He smiled trying to calm his angry favorite medic. "Come on Sakura-chan, I am fine...maybe you can do the treatment tonight?!" he offered.

"You're fine?" she parroted, "You have two solutions: either you go to bed or I will beat the crap out of you and make you stay in bed..."

What was exactly fair about those fake choices? She was just asking if he was going to bed or going to bed. "Sakura-chan... don't make things difficult" he pleaded.

She crossed her arms in front of her breasts and looked at him with a definite glint in her eyes. "If you are that fine, you should have no difficulties in stopping me, and it will be my loss," she smirked.

He laughed loudly, making her scowl at him. "Don't be ridiculous, you have a monstrous strength, I am fine enough to go sit in front of a desk and do some paperwork".

She grabbed his arm unceremoniously and pulled him towards the bed. "If you are not able to win, that means, you're staying in bed today!" she declared.

He got irritated. Was she playing into Shikamaru's plan to make him stay out of his office?

"Stop it Sakura-chan! Are you trying to lock me in for Shikamaru?" he retorted angrily.

Her movement came to a sudden halt and she looked at him in surprise. She got furious herself too. Why was he acting so reckless? Her shoulder began to shake with a mixture of anger and pain.

"What are you talking about? Do you know how I feel every-time someone drops you half dead in front of me?"

Some tears escaped her eyes and he felt guilty for his sudden outburst. "Sorry..." he said drying her wet cheeks with his thumb, "I didn't want to worry you... but I can't stay hiding in here." His voice was soft, as soft as his thumb slowly stroking her cheek, as she leaned into it.

"It is not about hiding! Just stay a few days more for you to recover, for you to be strong enough to fight! ... Just for a few days... let me treat you to keep you alive" she pleaded gripping his arms with desperation, her eyes shining with unshed tears, her lips so close and tantalizing. Involuntary he bent down towards her, attracted by those lips, all forms of thought leaving his mind as he got closer and closer to the person he loved the most.

She saw him approaching and her heart skipped a beat, she stopped breathing for a moment, as she expectantly wished to feel those lips again, to taste again the source of all her unbearable desires. He was so close, that she was able to feel the warm breath caress her lips. But he came to a halt, realizing that what he wanted to do was completely out of line, that he shouldn't be doing this if he wanted to protect their bond.

"Sakura-chan... I..."

He was here, so close to her and she couldn't wait anymore for him. She lifted herself to the tip of her toes to close the distance with the lips that she craved. He couldn't even finish his sentence. His brain felt like he just got hit by a full-powered Chidori. He forgot how to breathe, practically transformed into a living statue, the shock of being kissed by the love of his life was so much.

He didn't respond. So embarrassed by her own action, she paused unsure of what was coming next. He made to step backward, shaking his head to try and make his brain functional again.

"Don't do that Sakura-chan!... Don't play with my heart! It's not fair... It's not fair, you know that I love you..." Some sadness was leaking in his voice, she must have done that to make him surrender.

"You love me?" was the insecure and shy voice he heard.

"Don't play with me Sakura-chan!" he got irritated. "You know that I have loved you since we were kids!"

Her eyes were filling up with tears as she seemed to drown in her own emotion, her heart beating against her ribcage as if it was trying to break free of its prison. "You didn't stop?" Her voice was shaking and he looked at her strangely.

"You know I never go back on my words... I could never give up on you... I told you already, no matter if you don't love me, no matter if your heart is only for Sasuke, I love yo..." She surprised him by jumping on him to kiss him and they both fell on the bed.

Her lips felt so soft against his, so tempting. He couldn't resist and he melted in her embrace. His heart was going crazy with a complete erratic beat. The way her arms were encircling his neck, the way her mouth was moving against his, he must have been still asleep in one of his damned dreams. Dreamy cerulean blue eyes met with glassy jade ones. He breathed hard trying to keep his body in control. Her cheeks were all pink and her lips invitingly red.

"Sakura-chan..."

All the hope in the world was compressed in her single name and she replied to his silent question. "I love you Idiot!"

Was it real?...was it really real? He wished so hard, that it was true. She bent down to kiss him again, softly at the beginning and soon enough they were both rolling on the bed fighting in an urgent and demanding battle of kisses.

They rolled over again and she ended up on top of him. He moaned in her mouth having his aroused manhood pressed against her body. He was sure that she could feel him in this position and he didn't want to scare her. So he parted, lifting her up a little to a sitting position where she was no more in contact with the evidence of his excitation. It was agonizing but she was so much worth the effort.

"Sorry... Please don't mind me..." he said trying to hide his proud arousal by pushing it down.

"I can wait... I can wait forever!" he proclaimed a little embarrassed as the thing did not seem to want to obey him. She looked at his face, panicked, embarrassed and sincere and she smiled slightly lunging towards him.

"I can't wait ! " she declared sealing her decision with a passionate kiss.

They fell back on the bed, her arms encircling his neck and her body pressed against him. He didn't need more to succumb to his desire. Their tongues battled fiercely. A puff of air escaped scarcely in between kisses. They couldn't have enough. Their hands explored their lover's body. The temperature in the room seemed to have gained a few degrees with the heat emanating from them. They were feeling fire through their veins, electricity running wild on their skin. They couldn't have enough. Her mouth left his and trailed a series of kisses from his jaw to his ear. She licked his earlobe and his back arched in a jolt of pleasure. He moaned loudly.

"Don't do that Sakura-chan... I wont be able to control myself!"

Happy to see the reaction on her lover, she insistently kept on sucking it. He turned her around pushing her onto the mattress, pinning her down firmly holding her hands on his pillow, his body hovering above her tantalizing figure. He breathed hard, his eyes were clouded by lust, she had driven him crazy and she felt somewhat proud to have this type of effect on him.

"You were doing that on purpose?" he asked looking at her satisfied expression. A smirk stretched on his lips. "I can play this game too you know..."

He dived towards her earlobe licking it diligently and sucking on it softly. He took all his time, enjoying the feeling of her squirming underneath him. He passed her second wrist in his left hand to hold them both and used his free hand to travel down her body without releasing her earlobe and her neck from his constant attack.

His hand arrived at the edge of the long t-shirt and caressed the creamy skin of her thigh, going up oh so very slowly, taking up with it the garment and revealing more of her skin. She shivered at his touch and it sent a shot of excitement straight down to his crotch. His hand passed over the side of her panty and he felt all his blood be driven down to his lower body. He was so excited that he thought he might explode at any second. He grazed the thin skin on her neck with his teeth trying to restrain his all-mighty desire, but her moans were so intoxicating that he was completely losing his mind in the sound. He caressed her smooth belly, his heart was beating so hard to the point to be almost painful.

His fingers reached the bottom of her bra and nearly religiously slid on the delicate material to the edge at the top. She felt his finger brush her skin on her breasts and suddenly she freed one of her hands from his hold to cover her breast. He released her neck and lifted his head up to look at her. They were both having a blush on their faces from the fervor of their activity.

"Sorry... I got carried away" he apologized not sure if he could continue anything without doing something uncomfortable to her. She timidly looked at the side to avoid his eyes. She was so embarrassed but she didn't want to make him feel at fault.

"Don't be... I just... I feel... they're...small" she stuttered ashamed of her complex.

He looked puzzled stopping for a moment, just studying her. Was she serious? He was on the verge to die from a heart stroke and she was doubting her charm... He laughed and she send him a dark glare wanting to seriously kill him for making fun of her. But it evaporated, all angry feeling forgotten when he bent his head to her ear to whisper sensually.

"You are beautiful Sakura-chan... so beautiful that it make my heart ache!" He kissed her neck softly. "You will be the death of me" he added continuing to move down more letting a trail of kisses on her collarbone, on the t-shirt, on her arm covering the object of her shame until the tip of her fingers.

His intense blue eyes locked on with hers, as to ask permission and very carefully he removed her hand from his way. She couldn't resist his burning stare. Just with the way he looked at her, the butterflies in her belly were going berserk. She bit her lips when his eyes went down. His fingers caressed devotedly the skin at the edge of her bra, following the curved shape and stopped in the middle of it. He shot her a quick glance, his eyes full of respect and fervor before returning to his fingers.

He pulled down the lace to reveal an exquisite pink nipple. Without any more restraints, he enclosed the sensitive nipple in his mouth, sucking and licking it thoroughly with a passion that could have melted all the eternal snow on the mountain in the land of snow. Her hand gripped his hair, needing so much to find something to hold in the turmoil of sensation that was erupting through her. She couldn't suppress her moans and it incited him to lavish her more.

He wanted more of her. His eyes glanced briefly at the expression on her face and his tongue abandoned her nipple. Her breathing was labored and her face was all flushed. He was so excited that he wanted to ravish her at that instant. He helped her in a sitting position and pulled out the t-shirt over her head. Immediately his mouth plunged on her for a hungry kiss. She felt dizzy under his spell.

His tongue conquered her and she surrendered bound by the same desire as him. There was something intoxicating in his kisses. He was able to transmit so much feeling that it was overwhelming. He was kissing her with so much power, her heart was bursting in her chest. It was so like him. Nobody could kiss like him, giving himself without limit, without fear and doubt. He was able to make her feel in a single kiss like if she was the only one existing in the world. He was tender like if she was a precious delicate flower and fiery as if his whole body was on fire.

His hand caressed her back and he worked his fingers on the clutch of her bra. Very gently, he lead one of the straps on her shoulder down and then the next, making the little piece of lingerie fall. His tongue left her mouth and he took some distance to admire the view. She wanted to hide again from his stare with her hand, but he caught her wrist.

"You are beautiful, don't hide from me!" he whispered with nearly religious devotion.

The cerulean blue eyes captured her by their honesty, all doubt flew away through the window and she surrendered herself, a volunteering prisoner of his embrace. He held her tightly, skin against skin, enclosing her in his strong arms. He squeezed her more as if he was afraid that she would escape and she heard his mouth near her ear murmur.

"I love you so much" with some sort of deep and hidden heartache in his voice .

She sometimes forgot that Naruto even with his loud mouth and all his bravado, had the most sensible and tender heart she had ever known. She lovingly caressed his hair. "I love you too" and she turned her head to kiss him tenderly on his whiskers. He smiled fondly and turned his head to share a soft long kiss with her.

He deepened the kiss and his hand came to fondle her breast. She moaned in his mouth at the ministration and he pushed her down again on the mattress. He slid on her side without stopping his kiss and took support with his elbow. His other hand left her breast, earning a soft moan of disapproval, and traveled down her belly to slide into her panties. A trail of lava followed his hand on her skin and she gasped when she felt it touch her most private intimate part.

"Naruto" she breathed and fell into his intoxicating gaze.

"I want you..." he murmured, the desire leaking in his hushed voice. "I can wait if ..."

She let a finger linger on his lips to make him stop saying his non-sense and lifted her head up to meet those tantalizing lips. His finger rubbed the soft bead at her entrance earning immediately moans as the pleasure built up in her. His head was clouded by lust, having her like that in his arms, moaning into his mouth while he touched her... he wanted more.

He released her mouth, letting her pant and straightened up to take hold of the last piece of fabric covering her. Pink curls were revealed to his hungry eyes and he began to kiss her inner thighs until he arrived to her core. His tongue caressed the bead and licked her entrance, He loved tasting her excitation. With his powerful hands he maintained her hips in place while her whole body jerked under his sweet care.

Her hand found his hair while he licked, licked and sucked her. There was so much heat pooling between her legs, the pressure was building up and building more. Her head kept trashing, all her muscles tensed, her nipple perky and red from excitement. He enjoyed the view and devoted himself to give her more. A silent cry was lost in her throat when all around her became blank and her muscles lost all strength. He gave a final lick to taste her earning a shudder of pleasure and climbed up kissing up all her skin from her sex, to her lips.

The kiss was sloppy and ravenous. Her hands encircled him, roaming passionately on his back. They were pressed together but she wanted more. Her hand reached his towel and tugged on it to free the knot. People could call her a pervert, who cares when under a man like him. He helped her, lifting slightly his hips and with a sweep move got rid of the damn towel before positioning himself against her.

They continued to kiss hungrily, their bodies' moving into the rhythm of a silent music, his hips swaying rubbing his long thick verge against her wet core. She could feel it, hot against her, she could feel the sensation of the silky skin rubbing her sex. Her head was spinning with desire and she could see the same feeling in his eyes as his hand sneaked down and he positioned his sex at her entrance. With a languid sway of hips he penetrated her slowly, very slowly until he was fully inside her. _Wet. Hot. Tight_. The pleasure was intense and just entering her was nearly enough to push him over the edge.

He breathed deeply to calm his tremendous excitation and heard her saying after she adjusted to his size. "It is ok, you don't hurt. You can move now..."

He looked at the woman under him and smiled embarrassed. "Sorry, I need a few seconds to calm down... I don't want to finish too quickly."

She blushed at his confession. "Oh... It's ok I think... I don't mind" she tried to reassure him. But his eyes turned intense.

"There is no way I would waste it like that... I want to take my time and make you enjoy all of it too" and he kissed her lovingly before moving in a languorous rhythm of his hips. And he did. He did make her enjoy him, wave of pleasure after wave. He was invading her into the deepest part of her, filling her up with all of him and swiping again and again this place inside her that she never knew was existing and that was making her cum at nearly every stroke.

Their bodies' were now moving as one entity, skin soaked in sweat, so deeply encased in each other. The room was filled with the sound of their pleasure. Her nails were breaking the skin on his back as he was pushing her over the edge again.

"Naruto!" she panted and he continued more ferociously, kissing her to drink the moan of her pleasure. "Hnnnnnnnn". He saw some tears of ecstasy lost at the corner of her eyes when he released her mouth and a loving smile adorned his face. It was so unfair... so unfair that he was able to keep his control when he had made her lost her mind. She pushed on her leg to make him roll on his back.

"Sakura-chan?"

She came to straddle him earning a shuddered inspiration when he entered her from this angle. She needed few seconds to recover herself. This would prove to be difficult to keep her sanity with him. He heard her whisper "My turn" in his ear before she began her up and down motion on his overly hard shaft.

He didn't know if it was seeing the evident desire in each movement of her body, the slight bouncing of her breasts, her face contracted as she tried so hard to stay collected or simply the sensation induced in this position that was making his control slip away of his grip. But he was so close, so close that he had to grit his teeth to hold it in. She noticed his body tensing even more and it was making her inner core melt more as she was able to feel him growing bigger inside of her.

"Sakura!…Ahh...Sakura "

She was panting hard, the sensation was overwhelming, so she instinctively accelerated her pace encouraged by his restrained groan.

"Naru...Hnnnnnnn"

It was too much and her body failed her. The strong clamping of her inner wall with the last stroke demolished his last resistance and he let himself get engulfed in the destroying wave of pleasure. Her body became all soft and she leaned on him. He encircled her with his arms tenderly, eyes closed and still panting hard. Her head was resting against his shoulder and she was able to feel against her palm the strong pounding of his heart.

They stayed without moving for a few minutes, in the comfortable warmth of the afterglow, the sun now up in the sky was entering the room with a bright white light. His hand traveled up to caress her head. He played mindlessly with a pink lock pensively for few more instants and she left her comfortable position to have a look at his face. He was a sunny summer day just by himself with his golden halo of sunny hair, his cerulean blue eyes that could make any sky jealous and his glowing smile brighter that any ray of light. He bent his neck and landed a discreet peck on her lips before dropping the bomb:

"Will you marry me Sakura-chan?"

'Shock' is a little word to express what she was feeling. She had just spent two hours in an amazing first sex experience, in the most unexpected moment, with the man she had called her best friend half of her life. She couldn't deny that she loved him more than in just friendship terms and she could deny even less that he was an astonishing lover. But you can count on Naruto to be unpredictable and take a harsh, impulsive decision on such an important matter.

She was unable to form any sort of reasoning after the intense brain washing activity they just shared few minutes ago. He gave her another peck, another one and he lingered more on the last.

"Naruto! Stop it! I can't think properly if you do that" she berated him.

He smiled seductively. "I don't want you to think... I just want you to say yes!" and he continued to kiss her more and more.

"Naruto!" there was no conviction in her scolding as she found herself quite responding to his kiss and her treacherous body awakening at the light touch of his finger sliding over her back.

"We can date a little if you want but I will never let you go... so it is easier to just marry me directly" he uttered in hushed tones in her ear. "Just say yes" and he thoroughly kissed her neck.

 _Did you like it? Review! Tell me if it worth my time to continue writing, or if I should just stop..._


	19. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER CORRECTED THANKS TO THE LITTLE PRINCESS SNOW WHITE (BETA READ)**

 _Thanks to all my reviewer that keep me working when I am struggling with my doubt in the depth of my despair. Thank you so much to support me and give me the strenght to continue._

 _ultranx: It took them long but at least they enjoyed each other *evil smirl*_

 _Yojimbra: thank you! I love that you like it. I am really happy._

 _Danny Ketchum: Yeah! It will be a long serie of love cession. It easy to get addicted to love ;) I am glad that you like as well 'Dangerous infiltration mission' Narusaku power!_

 _EziogreatNaruto: How the boy who never give up could have give up on Sakura. The only answer is he didn't give up. He sacrifice himself for her happiness. Narusaku are so cute. This is to me the best pairing possible. She has the brain, he has the hope. NARUSAKU FOREVER!_

 _roy 0611: Yeah some lemon and some more will arrive!_

 _guest: thank you! XD_

 _Guest 007: Thank you! I am not unfortunately in cross over things. I just hope that I will manage somehow to touch the reader with my actual stories._

 _Troa 95: I am happy that you liked your christmas gift. Yeah I think that after 10 years of unrequited love, he will try to marry her at the first openning ;)_

 _Aqua Rules: Thank you so much! I am so glad that you love their interaction. (can't really imagine Hinata telling him "my turn"... that's why Sakura is much more fun to work as a pairing with Naruto. Two pervert together! *smirk*)_

 _Guest: thank you!_

 _JaPaNsHoNeNaI 98: Thank you very much!_

 **FOR THOSE WHO WANT MORE NARUSAKU: I HAVE ANOTHER STORY CALLED:**

 **DANGEROUS INFILTRATION MISSION**

 **CHAP 19**

 _Previews Chapter: Finally Naruto and Sakura confess their love and make love. Naruto end up asking Sakura to marry him._

 _"We can date a little if you want but I will never let you go... so it is easier to just marry me directly" he uttered in hushed tone in her ear "Just say yes" and he kissed thoroughly her neck._

 _xxxxxx_

He was really making her head spine. _She loved him, she was sure of it... And it would be criminal to risk losing him to anyone else._ She blurted an abrupt "Yes" making his head snap up, not sure he had heard her very well. His eyes searched for hers. _This man_. They had known each other since forever. She trusted him blindly with her life. He was the person she was the most comfortable with, the person she had always been able to completely be herself around. He was always there when she needed him the most. "Yes" she repeated more confidently.

His arms encircled her and he hugged her tightly laughing happily and swinging her from side to side. He tried to kiss her again but she stopped him.

"I will marry you, but you have stay with me until you finish your treatment...no going to the office until we regenerate your chakra system. If you want, we can ask someone to drop some of your paperwork here, if you really need to."

He pouted. "Sakura-chan... It's not fair".

She gave him a peck "I won't loose my future husband just because he didn't finish his treatment." she teased him and escaped his arms to be sure that he won't use any dirty tricks to make her change her mind. His health had to come first.

"Where are you going?" He said a little panicked to see her standing up and putting a tee-shirt on.

"To the shower" she replied not understanding the meaning of the question.

"Can I come with you?" He tempted but earned a blunt ''No'' following by ''Pervert''. He lied down, a big smile on his face... his Sakura had agreed to marry him. An idea popped out in his head and he went to search in his closet for it.

She let the warm running water fall onto her skin, hugging herself with her arms. Her body was the same, but felt somehow so different. Her legs were wobbly, all her skin was over-sensitive and she was still having the ghost feeling of him inside her. She was feeling all warm and fuzzy. He had made love with her so thoroughly. He had buried himself so deep inside her, so deep, so full, filling her with all of him and she never had enough of him. She blushed.

Her hand went down on her belly. A light green glow began to appear, they didn't use any protection, she needed to... The glowing light disappeared and she felt empty, sad almost. But it wasn't the time yet for a baby. He already had proposed to her. She laughed at herself. She must be crazy... He made her crazy for this... crazy to have accepted like that so impulsively. But she didn't want to change her mind. It felt so right to think that they will be together forever, that he will be all hers and hers only.

She appeared all clean and fully clothed at his door room. "I am going to prepare breakfast, we will begin the treatment just after." She informed him.

He jumped to her with only his towel on his hips and held her wrist. "Sakura-chan... wait!"

She stopped and looked at him quizzically. _What was going on in his head to be all blushing?_

"Come with me a minute please" he said pulling her toward the bed.

 _He doesn't think we could do it again, does he?_ It was not that she didn't like making love to him, but she might get sore, he was far from being small in size. Anyway, she let herself be guided to the bed where he made her sit. But instead of joining her, he turned to take something off his nightstand and she saw him drop to one knee with the most serious expression she had ever seen grace his beautiful face. She was speechless, her brain froze, not able to form any coherent thoughts. _Was he? How?_

"Sakura-chan" Her brain snapped up back in motion and he delicately took her hand in his own larger one. He looked at her with such loving expression in his eyes. "Do you want to be my wife?".

She nodded not sure that her voice would work, or that any of her organs worked. And he slid a ring carefully on her finger. The ring was beautiful, simple and refined. It was perfect, absolutely perfect. She looked up to him and he was having this endearing smile of his.

"Do you like it?" He asked excited "I was not sure that it would fit you".

Something dark leaked in her heart. This ring hasn't been for her. It was impossible that he got a ring for her. "Was this ring destined to Hinata?" She questioned coldly, the green-eyed monster devouring her inside.

He was taken aback, his expression turning puzzled. "Hinata? No! Why?" He didn't understand.

"Did you buy this ring for your ex-girlfriend?" She clarified, if he wanted to play dumb, she would beat him at his game.

His eyebrow shot up with the surprise, but he still didn't understand. "I never dated Hinata..." he blurted still making no connection between the ring and Hinata.

"Don't lie! I know Hinata love you! And you two are so close... or did you buy it for one of those girls following you?" She was blinded with jealousy.

"What are you saying? Sakura-chan... Are you jealous or something?" He smiled at the idea of having her jealous for him but he didn't want to begin his love-life on such low misunderstanding. "I have never dated anyone else because I love you too much!" He declared. "Hinata or anyone...I could not because they weren't you!" He confessed caressing her cheek tenderly.

 _But how come he was so good in bed? He had know exactly what to do and how to do it... He must have learn it somehow._

"How come you're such an expert in sex?" she asked doubting him.

He laughed. "You are my first, my only...or may be..." He feigned thinking. "Does my hand count?" he joked destroying completely the last bit of heavy atmosphere before turning the table at her. "I should be the one being jealous, you know... You're the one that has tortured me by having a boyfriend for months... So would it be fair if I ask you instead?" He teased her and she blushed brightly.

"I didn't do it with him." She admitted and he was confused.

"But you dated him for months and well... you didn't bleed when I... I penetrated you... In pervy-sage books, the girl was hurt and bled for their first time." He explained his reasoning.

She blushed even deeper listening to him. "Don't be like Sai, trusting everything that you read in books..." she countered him really uncomfortable.

"You seems to have like what I had learn from those books." He flirted with her, mischief in his eyes. He lifted himself up, his lips very very close from hers. "So who was your first?" he asked curious yet jealous at the same time.

"You!... I lost my...my...hymen in a battle... I landed badly and the shock broke it" She shuddered closing her eyes, her face crimson until the tip of her ears, embarrassed to talk about a subject like that with him.

She felt his lips on hers on a very soft and loving kiss. She opened her eyes when his lips left her and she felt his hand on her, his finger playing with the ring. He looked up at her, all serious again and some sadness in the blue of his iris.

"If you don't like the ring, I can buy you a new one...but this ring was special to me. It was my mother's engagement ring and my parents had been so in love together, that I had wish the same for us. That's why I wanted you to have it" He explained and it was her turn to kiss him fondly. She was so touched, she was moved to tears.

"I want this one..." she uttered her voice trembling a little. He smiled at her and lifted himself to be able to kiss her.

The kiss deepened more and more, he ended up hovering above her, pinning her to bed. The silky way he was whispering "Sakura" against her skin was already making her dizzy and she had to stop it before she couldn't control her own lust. She pushed him lightly and those hungry eyes of his could have make her forget everything, so she looked away trying to collect herself.

"Naruto... we need to do your treatment..." She stated. He made a sour face as if he had bitten in a lemon and moved on the side to sit, a pout on his adorable lips. She laughed and hugged him from behind her face resting on his bare shoulder. "Don't be mad, shouldn't I take care of the health of my fiancé?"

Just the mention of the word ''fiancé'' was enough to brighten his mood and to make a smile appear on his face. She ruffled his hair while she stood up. "I am going to prepare breakfast" she informed him and she left the room with a smile too.

He went to take another shower then joined her in the kitchen before she finished preparing breakfast. He walked up just behind her and rolled his arms around her bending slightly to kiss her neck.

"You make me so happy, Sakura-chan" He murmured against her skin and she blushed at the tender gesture with the sweet words.

"Have a seat, it's nearly ready..." she informed him, trying to keep herself in check. She brought the plate to the table and she felt herself blush under his gaze.

"Thank you Sakura-chan." he said and they began to eat in silence, Naruto glancing here and there at her.

"What?" she asked a little annoyed.

He fidgeted on his seat, unsure. "I was wondering... that it would be great if you could come to live with me here... I mean before we get married... you know".

 _So it's seemed he had decided to keep surprising me today_ , she thought.

He scratched his hair laughing uncomfortable "I mean... I would love to..."

It was going too far, too fast. "Naruto... I can't... Don't you think we're missing too many steps in our relationship?" She replied, overwhelmed by the situation.

He stayed silent for few seconds, deep in thought.

"I think you're right... I should ask permission from your parents first, they wouldn't like me very much if I didn't do things properly." he accepted and suddenly he seemed worried.

She waited for the next bomb coming from his mouth today, and after few minutes with him eating way to silently in an almost depressed mood, she decide to dig herself for her next hit.

"What's on your mind?" She asked as he pushed around rice on his plate.

"I... I mean... Do you think your parents will accept me our marriage?" He sighed. "I mean, we can't really escape to another village if they don't agree...I have too much responsibility here as the Hokage."

She had kept her tempter in check too much for a single day and this time, he really deserve it. So she punched him as lightly as possible, but he still fell from his chair and crashed hard on the floor. She stood up and walked to him. He was already bleeding, she could really use no force at all as long as he didn't recover. She crouched in front to him and healed his bruised face.

"There's now way that my parents would not accept. My mom nearly worshiped you since the Pein's attack. She keep nagging me to tell you to visit again since you came to heal me." She reassured him tenderly. He smiled with bloody teeth and she helped him up. She dragged him in the bathroom on the ground floor and cleaned his face from the blood for him with a hand towel as gently as possible.

After the breakfast, they went back to the bedroom for his treatment and she discreetly pinched herself to keep her brain in check when he took off his tee-shirt. It's seemed that her body was having a will of its own now and that it would gladly take the blond for another ride. He went to lie down on his belly, head on his pillow like usual and she saw the scratches that she had made on his back while he was thrusting in her this morning and she blushed, a full load of images and sensations spurting out into her dirty mind. She inhaled deeply trying to calm the turmoil in her body and began her healing session by erasing the proof of her pleasure on his back.

After she finished the two morning sessions, she arranged the needles in the bag and soothed his pain with some more green chakra. He relaxed to her touch and when the flow stopped. His hand grabbed her to prevent her from leaving. His face emerged from the pillow, his expression still tensed from the soreness.

"Stay with me!" he pleaded with a hoarse voice. She sat back next to him and he pulled her down to make her lie on the mattress, quickly securing an arm around her waist to keep her against him. "What about a nap with me?" he asked getting comfortable against her without waiting for her answer.

"Naruto...I..." she tried to protest but he nuzzled his head in her hair and breathed: "I am sure it can wait...just a little nap."

Early in the afternoon, the house-keeper entered the house and dropped the bag of grocery on the counter in the kitchen. She thought, she should make her presence known before she end up with an arm half broken. She began to climb the stairs but stopped only after few steps.

"Just his friend..." Momoe mumbled going back to the kitchen to arrange the grocery in the cupboard.

The dishes had been cleaned and she couldn't decently go make the room of the young Hokage or ask him what he wanted for dinner. So she decided to leave, tomorrow would be probably a better day to come back.

Up in the room, Sakura was moaning loudly, he was driving her completely crazy. The rocking was more powerful as he was thrusting in and out. There was something animal about him, a sensual instinct in his way of moving his body. Her hand was gripping tightly the mattress as if it could stop her from drowning in the explosion of sensation he was driving her into. With her two legs on each of his shoulder, she was at his complete mercy and he had spared her absolutely nothing.

He had begun shortly after the little nap. They were comfortably cuddling when she had sensed his stare on her. She had opened her eyes to directly be sucked by the pool of blue of his iris. He smiled tenderly and she couldn't do anything else than mimic him. Heaven was surely in the warm embrace of his arms, in a moment like that, with this angelic face looking at her so lovingly. But all paradise have it's ends and the angel proved to be more of a demon. A tantalizing demon. A seductive smirk crept on his lips and his hands danced a enticing motion of caress. Soon after, his mouth became a dangerous weapon against her sanity. Innocently, he had started by fleeting kisses all over her face and before she realized it, all of her clothes were off and he was having his head between her legs doing some unspeakable things to her.

She had been thoroughly spent when his mouth left her sacred place. Her heart had been beating so loudly in her ears that she couldn't have heard anything more than the drumming of its own pumping. Her head had been in a mess, so dizzy that she wasn't sure to remember her own name, as the only name that have seemed to come to her lips have been his. Her body had been left slack as if all form of energy had been sucked out at each wave of ecstasy flowing through her vein.

However the demon decided that he hadn't had enough of her as he had more than likely decided to kill her from pleasure. He had been riding her in different positions for an hour now, bringing her each time on this glorious thing called ''orgasm''. For sure, Naruto was certainly not the most unpredictable ninja for nothing. But instead of a 'god of war', as he only wished for peace, he truly deserved the title of 'god of sex'. That's how she had ended up at that moment, in this terrible state of dis-inhibition, where she was just able of moaning and crying his name while he was pounding ferociously her inner core.

The wet proof of her pleasure was sliding on his thighs and the hot tightness around his cock was feeling amazing. It was harder and harder for him to stay focused at each one of her climaxes as his natural instinct and the compelling pressure in his lower belly was screaming for release. He held on more, gritting his teeth restraining the explosion until she came again. And he saw her, gaping like as if all the air had been sucked out of her lungs, a last cry dying on her lips and her eyes shut tightly. He felt this now so familiar clamping around his sex and rode with her the last orgasm, freeing himself from all restrain. Warm white liquid spurted from his throbbing cock as his body tensed for a last time, making him plunge deeper in her.

He rolled on the side untangling himself from her as to not crush her under the weight of his boneless body. His arms sneaked around her and he pulled her against his chest, kissing softly her hair while her head rested motionlessly on his chest. His eyes were closed and he felt light-headed. But he was feeling so good, he thought he never had felt that good in all his life.

"Sakura?" he heard a lazy "hnn".

"Do you think we can get married tomorrow?... I don't think I will be able to live another day without you..." She didn't reply this time. "Sakura?" he looked at the woman in his arms and he found her asleep, an arm slack around his torso, her face completely at peace. He put down his head against his pillow and resumed his 'little nap'.

The door bell woke them up suddenly and she looked around panicked. They were both completely naked! She jumped out of the bed while her partner just sat himself up. She surprised him by throwing at him his underwear, pant and tee-shirt in a messy bundle as she had collected them on the floor while putting on her own clothes. The man yawned and retrieved the items, not at all in hurry.

She ran down the stairs and straightened her hair and her clothes a little before opening the door. Shikamaru entered his hand charged with scrolls and stack of paper. "You took your time opening this damn door... I was nearly wondering if I would have to destroy it only to find your dead body." It wasn't usual for the strategist to show his worry but the assassin was putting his nerve at edge. It was like playing hide and seek with a ghost.

"Sorry... we fell asleep after the treatment, the protocol is quite tiring" she half lied.

He passed her and walked to the living room. "And how is he doing?" He asked trying to be as casual as he could.

"I think, later should be his last session... I hope that he will recover his access to his chakra after that." She answered honestly.

A frown marred his face. "Can you do something to keep him here safe?" he requested, but she couldn't respond as Naruto arrived and replied for her.

"No she can't and don't use her to keep me chained here... I will be back at the office as soon as I recover, this is the only deal I have with her." He looked over to his Advisor and the documents in his hand. "I think you need my presence there for some matter I suppose."

The Nara heir dropped the load on the small table and installed himself in the couch. "Whatever I say, you will just do as you please... troublesome!"

Naruto installed himself on the other seat. "We will work faster as a team, than with me hiding here."

Shikamaru snorted. "As long as I don't have to carry you all around the village to the hospital..." Shikamaru glanced over his shoulder at the medic behind him. "I would have thought that you would be on my side...".

Naruto got irritated and growled angrily. The strategist glanced back to the blond. "So you finally confessed?" He asked naturally. Naruto and Sakura got dumbfounded. "What? Don't tell me you really think I wouldn't notice the hickey on her neck... if you didn't want people to know, you shouldn't make them in a place like this..."

Sakura turned crimson and tried to erase the mark with some healing chakra. Naruto just blushed slightly and guided her embarrassed.

"The other side Sakura-chan" he informed her, hoping that he wouldn't get hit for having left some evidence on her.

Shikamaru went back in the object of his visit. "Those documents are the more urgent and need your seal for approval... I sorted out all the emergency but I can't fake your seal on official demands." Naruto nodded face all serious and Shikamaru stood up. "I suppose, I will see your face soon enough at the office as to not waste more of my time here".

Naruto hesitated, glanced up rapidly to Sakura. "Shikamaru..."

The man stopped and looked at his friend. The blond scratched the back of his head and Sakura had known at that exact moment that he was on the verge of blurting something stupid. "You know..." He began. Two wide-eye men looked surprised at the woman that just sent flying a shuriken at one centimeter from the blond face.

"Yeah... it may be safer for you to come back at the office" Shikamaru admitted.

Sakura sent a threatening glare to the blond. He wondered what did he do wrong or was it for the hickey incident? He tried to open his mouth again and Sakura stopped him.

"Don't!" she menaced.

Shikamaru lifted an eyebrow. _That's smelled some juicy story but certainly way too troublesome... better to leave them deal alone with their private matter_. "So see you guys!" and he left them.


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER CORRECTED THANKS TO XYRA KAZE FOR BETA READING**

 _Aqua Rules: Yeah two pervert together...This the best match ;) Thank you for supporting me!_

 _Guest 007: There will be no balcony nor lake, but I have a tone of fluffy and sexy moment together. I wrote this story mostly for NaruSaku Romance ;) Thank you!_

 _Troa 95: Thank you so much for your constant support! I hope you will not be disappointed by the "finding the assassin" stuff. To be honest, I didn't care about it and didn't put much effort into it. I just wanted to concentrate on NaruSaku. The poisonning was just a tool to have them face each other. For Naruto mom's ring, I though when seeing the shitty "last movie" that he might have found it in the box and it was just so perfect for the event. (Most of my small detail here and there like this one, are for a purpose)._

 _Ultranx: Thank you very much! here the next ;)_

XXXXX

 _To those that don't review...some of you are writer too may be and you know how it hurt when people stay silent in front of your work... some of you don't care and think "it's not my problem, she's writing it for herself, reader don't have to review"._

 _I will say true! Reader don't have to review as much as writer don't have to publish. If I truly wrote it for me, it should be enough, if I keep it for myself. But I decided to share it and it's kindness to help me grow up with a critique or motivate me with a comment._

 **CHAP 20**

Sakura glared angrily at the blond and barked, "What nonsense were you gonna tell Shikamaru just now?"

Naruto flinched at her irritated tone, feeling very much like a scolded child. "I just... just wanted to tell him about us getting married, you know?" He scratched his chin as he continued, "I kind of have to tell him since he is my advisor and I'll need to take a day or two off for the wedding and stuff."

For once, Naruto's reasoning wasn't wrong, but everything seemed to be moving too fast and it made Sakura uneasy, as if something was wrong.

"We should discuss everything first; before we tell the others." She reasoned in response, but even as she said it, she wasn't sure she wanted to talk about it, but it was too late now. She couldn't take her words back, especially since Naruto was already all smiles with excitement.

"Yeah sure! Come, sit!" He moved over, patting the empty space next to him.

Sakura walked to the couch and hesitantly took the seat farthest away from him. Today had proved that being too close to him could lead to very complicated situations, like the silly one she was in right now. But she would correct this mistake. _I'll just tell him that I need some time and that it would be best to keep everyone in the dark for now. I'll tell him that we should use our engagement time to get used to the idea of getting married. Yeah, that's it! Surely, he would understand and accept my wish to take things slowly in our relationship_?

The blond moved closer to her, noticing her hand clench into a fist. She instinctively wanted to punch him. It had become quite the defense mechanism for whenever he set her nerves on fire. This habit had taken form early in their relationship; when they were kids. First, because he had pissed her off. Second, because of his idiocy or his perverted side, and then to protect her from the emotional turmoil he caused her. Naruto smiled tenderly as he opened her clenched fingers one by one, and intertwined their fingers. She looked up from their hands to his face, and immediately got lost in the deep blue of his irises.

"Sakura-chan." He said, snapping her out of her daze. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it lightly. "What do you want to talk about? I don't know much about this kind of stuff. If it were up to me, all I would need was you and we would be married today, since I don't want to be separated from you anymore."

His voice was so sweet, and his words so sincere that all her thoughts of protest got blown away. She opened and closed her mouth, unable to get any words past her lips, but he was waiting for her answer and so she made a feeble excuse, "Well... we have to tell my parents first."

"Fair enough." He kissed the back of her hand again. "Can I tell Baa-chan and Iruka-sensei?"

"You want to tell Tsunade-seishou? Can we wait for that?" Sakura asked, cringing internally.

"But they're like family to me?" He argued, perplexed by her hesitation. "But fine, if that's what you want. I will visit your parents first. I can come tomorrow after work?"

"You don't have to move your schedule around. There is no rush." The pinkette replied immediately, hoping he didn't take her words as a rejection. Naruto silenced the rest of her worries by laying a finger against her lips.

"I told you. I can't wait." He said, his voice becoming low and sensual. His eyes took on a hungry gleam as he fixated on her slightly parted lips. A shudder traveled down her spine, awakening butterflies in her stomach.

"What do you want Sa-ku-ra?" The blond purred, dragging out the syllables of her name in a way that made heat pool between her legs and her thighs clench in anticipation. _I am a pervert_ , she thought, her mind racing with erotic images. She wanted a lot of things from him and from the way he looked at her, she was sure he would give them to her without hesitation. He was dangerous... very dangerous.

"What can I do to please you?" Naruto whispered and moved closer, his lips brushing the outer shell of her ear.

"I... I don't know. Stop that!" She stuttered breathlessly and stood abruptly, needing to put some distance between their bodies in order to break the spell he had on her. She would not fall for his trap.

"Sakura-chan?" He questioned worriedly and tried to take a hold of her hand, but she evaded his touch and turned around, hiding her face with her hands. Naruto stood up, keeping his distance as he murmured "Sakura-chan, what's wrong?"

"I don't know..." She exhaled in a shuddered breath and lowered her hands, but kept her back toward him.

His face darkened, fear instilled insidiously in his heart as a thought occurred to him. Emotions crushed his very being, but he managed to keep his voice calm as he asked, "Is it about marrying me?"

"I..." She began. "I don't know Naruto... I..."

"It's okay, Sakura-chan." His voice trembled, a lump forming in his throat, "I understand."

The agony in his words snapped her out of her dark and treacherous thoughts and she finally turned to look at him, her heart breaking at the sight. His gaze was concentrated on the window, as if he were lost in the peaceful scenery of his garden. But even though his expression was void of emotions, she could read his telltale signs; his jaw was tensed and his lips pressed in a straight line.

"Naruto?" Sakura called out to him, but her words didn't seem to reach him.

"You don't want to marry me." He choked on the last word, his control over his emotions slipping. "It was too good to be true."

She clenched her fists, he misunderstood everything. He looked back at her with a sad smile on his lips. "It doesn't matter. I told you! No matter what, I won't let you go." The hurt leaking into his voice mixing up with his natural determination.

Sakura took hold of his collar, pulling him towards her and crashed her lips against his in a ferocious kiss. "Idiot! I Lo-Ve You! What part of that don't you understand?"

The blond was stunned by her reaction. It was actually far from what he had expected. Sakura released his shirt and took a step back, her hand moving across to his shoulder. She didn't want to break the contact between them. "I just want… some time. Don't think I don't want to be with you or marry you. How you could even arrive at this conclusion after this morning?"

"I suppose ten years of unrequited love makes it hard for me to believe." Naruto mumbled as he sat back down, his arms encircling her waist. Her hand came up, caressing his hair as he laid his head against her belly. "I can't stop myself... I'm afraid if I close my eyes that you'll disappear when I wake up. I'm afraid that all of this is just in my head and I'm still asleep with a fever..." He searched for his next word. "I am afraid that you're still in love with Sasuke and you will eventually realize that you don't really love me."

Sakura pushed him back to look him in the eyes and kissed him more lovingly. He kissed her back, sneaking a hand in her hair to refrain her from leaving and pulled her to him with his other hand. Her first knee bended on the couch, she had no will to resist him and the rest of her body followed the movement. The kiss was ardent and urgent. Naruto needed so much to feel loved, to be sure and she complied to it with the same impetuosity. Their tongues battled wildly until the moment their lungs screamed for air. They were out of breath, their lips swollen from the kiss and their cheeks pink from excitement.

"Have I made myself clear?" Sakura asked breathily.

A dazed smile adorned his face and he nodded. His manhood was already hard in his pants and she could easily feel him as she was straddling him. Her hand seized the bottom of his shirt and pulled it over his head. Naruto gasped as he felt her mouth sucking his earlobe and her hand caressing his chest.

"Sakura." The blond moaned loudly, his hips bucking automatically as she slid a hand under the waistband of his pants and her fingers brushed the sensitive skin of his penis. Her fingers curled around the hard shaft and she felt it twitch responding to her touch. She felt curious and excited as she was hearing him panting and some moans escaping as she was stroking him. She sped up her movement and her fingers squeezed him.

"Ahhhh... Sakura... Aaa..."He moaned, throwing his head back. Sakura moved away from his neck to look at him. She loved his expression, his half lidded glassy eyes, his slightly parted mouth as he was catching his breath and the excitement written all over his face. He was completely abandoned in her care and it was intoxicating. She wanted to see his pleasure as she had always been too spent to appreciate it fully. Her hand stopped mid-motion as a knock sounded from the front door and he cursed the damn visitor that was interrupting such a moment.

The pinkette jumped to her feet, straightening out her clothes and running her fingers through her hair in order to make herself as presentable as possible. Sakura walked to the door, while she was in a complete inner turmoil. Naruto put on quickly his shirt and tried to cover as he could the blatant protuberance in his pant. Sakura opened the door to find Tsunade with more books in her hands. The former Hokage entered without more prior, already talking about another possible treatment. The pinkette hoped that her fiancé got the time to be decent as Tsunade went straight to the living room. Naruto with a plastered grin greeted his visitor, a scroll in his hand and enough documents spread over his lap on the cover he had pull on him to hide his little problem.

"Good to see you're up, brat! Already working, you're more serious than I was." The older woman commented while sitting on the other couch, dumping her books on the table. G _ood job Naruto_. Sakura thought with a sigh of relief as she joined Tsunade on the couch. "He looks much better, but does he still have a fever? He's a little red, isn't he?" questioned the busty woman.

"We just got in an argument over something stupid." Sakura half lied with a clumsy grin. Tsunade raised an eyebrow, doubting the quick excuse, but decided not to pry. It was none of her business.

The older woman explained how she had found a text that would make the protocol less painful for the patient. That information got Naruto really interested in their conversation, leaving the scroll forgotten in his hand. It's not like he had begin to read the damned document. After a few minutes of too much complicated medical terms, his Hokage duties became more appealing. He worked the entirety of their debated about the protocol. Even though the procedure would be performed on him, he let them do what they wanted as he had no right to say anything between this two women. When he finished the last scroll, Naruto stood up, attracting the attention of both medics.

"You're going to sleep?" Sakura inquired, slightly worried about his condition.

"Nah! I'm gonna go search for my Hokage seal, I need to sign those documents. I'm passing the kitchen, someone want something to drink or eat?" The blond offered as he started walking. At Tsunade's request, he put the kettle on to boil before heading to his office to retrieve his seal.

Naruto came back after a few minutes with three cups of tea and a pear between his teeth. Sakura shot him a confused look as he placed the tea on the table in front of them. She was sure there hadn't been pears in the house yesterday and then it hit her. The house-keeper must have come past earlier today. The pinkette thought back to when it could have been that she wouldn't have noticed. It was probably when they were having sex or afterward when they were sleeping naked in each other's arms; none of which were good options. She wanted to bang her head against the table, but Tsunade's presence forced her to let inner-Sakura explode.

After the tea, the two women continued their research and in conclusion, headed to the kitchen in order to prepare the balm for the modified protocol. Tsunade had brought all the herbal elements they needed for the concoction with her. As soon as the medics finished, all three of them went to Naruto's room. Naruto took of his T-shirt and Tsunade glanced at Sakura with a smirk as she spotted the scratch Sakura had given Naruto.

 _God! It was really regrettable that Naruto was not able to heal without his Uzumaki blood and chakra_. Sakura thought as she blushed, wanting to dig a hole and hide in it. The scratch was proof of what they had been doing before the former Hokage arrived. Of all the people who could have seen it, why did it have to be her master? Tsunade merely patted her shoulder, amused by the situation as she suggested, "I think you should heal the scratch before we apply the balm."

Naruto smiled self-consciously at his partner in crime and Sakura, who was as pink as her hair, came to his back to erase the mark, murmuring a little "Sorry..."

"I don't mind, I had wanted to tell her about us in the first place." Naruto whispered back, looking down at the floor. The pinkette finished her work and observed his profile, his fixed gaze and his pensive state. She sighed softly and said, "You can tell her now…"

"Tell her!" She said louder when he searched her eyes for confirmation. Tsuande watched the two kids she had grown to love with good humor and interrupted their hush-hush by asking, "Tell me what?"

"We are gonna get married Baa-chan!" Naruto announced gloriously, flashing a proud smile as he turned around an encircled Sakura's waist with his arms.

Tsunade choked on her own saliva. _Was it one of the kid's prank?_ But the embarrassed face of Sakura and his boastful attitude told her that it was true. _Her apprentice and the boy would make a nice couple._ The older woman smiled happily and asked, "Well congratulation! What have you planned about that?"

"I would like something simple and fast, but nothing is fixed yet." Naruto replied, fidgeting like a nervous teenager.

"You can't!" Tsunade frowned, stopping him in his tracks and reminding him, "Did you learn nothing from your lessons with me? You're the Hokage! You can't have a simple wedding without inviting at least the leaders of the other countries."

"Why not? My father was Hokage too and their wedding looked quite private from the picture" he retorted to defend his idea with a pout, not giving up on what he wanted.

Tsunade placed her hand on her hip, in full lecture posture, and barked, "He was no Hokage at that time! You are! And you represent the Fire country!"

Sakura glance at the discomfited blond. She had gotten the time she need to prepare herself, but it was going to be much more complicated than what she had originally thought. It was not just him and her, Naruto and Sakura, he was Hokage. He was here for everyone and he knew it.

Tsunade softened her demeanor, seeing the disappointment in his expression.

"It can't be that bad to wait. Anyway, you already got intimate with your future bride." The busty woman teased, making the couple blush. "But for now, let's go back to the matter at hand and put you back in shape. The balm is only effective for a few minutes after the preparation. Go, lie down on the bed!"

Naruto obeyed and Sakura tried to stay focused. The last blow from the former Hokage had put her off balance.

The balm was used as a chakra conductor and anesthesia at the same time to make the chakra transfer even more efficient without generating as much pain that such a process would have normally created. After the first session, the two women went down to the kitchen to prepare the second balm for the final session. Sakura didn't dare to look at her mentor. She was feeling mortified to have been found out on such a subject. But Tsunade smiled tenderly at her apprentice and broke the silence between them while crushing the herb, "I am glad that you two are together, I couldn't think of a better person for him... and for you too."

When Tsunade left them at the end of the protocol, Sakura offered to prepare him a light meal before he slept. The treatment had been less painful but even more tiring, so much so that he had difficulties staying awake while eating. His head kept nodding off involuntarily, his chopsticks loose in his hand. Sakura woke him up and he opened his bleary eyes to the food presented to him.

"Finish your food then sleep, don't do both at the same time." The pinkette scolded him while shoving the food in his mouth.

He yawned when his plate was empty and Sakura stood up to bring the dishes to the kitchen. Naruto called her before she arrived at the door of his room. "Will you come back to sleep with me?"

She blushed at his offer and her shy part wanted to refuse, but the other part of her won the fight without much resistance and she nodded.


	21. Chapter 21

**CHAPTER CORRECTED under the supervision of Walkerofdarkness**

 _Aqua Rules: thank you! hope you will enjoy the next chapter_

 _Danny Ketchum:the marriage pastor won't be Tsunade but she will still have a role in it. Thank you very much for your comment about my grammar. I'm learning a lot thanks to my beta readers._

 _Tip's: Thank you very much! keep giving me your opinion!_

 _ultranx: Thank you!_

 _crazyprankster1991: Actually I am bad with the action scene, but hope you will still like the story. I hope my PM answer about the time frame have helped you. Thank you for your review_

 _Roy0611: Thank you!_

 _ErziogreatNaruto: Than you for the suggestion, I can't tell you what will happend to not spoil the fun. ;)_

 _Troa95: As always i was waiting for your review. I'm happy that you liked Tsunade interaction. Don't worry, Sasuke and Hinata will have a place in it too ;) Thank you for your unwavering support._

 _The reader234: Thank you for your support! Please continue to tell me what you think about my chapters. it's important to me to see if I improve or what interest the reader._

 **CHAP 21**

Sakura cleaned up the dishes before grabbing a shower in preparation for bed. Walking into the Hokage's room, a tremor ran through her legs. Naruto was flat on his back, snoring loudly. The familiar sight prompted Sakura to admire her lover.

Growing up has definitely been generous to him, she thought to herself. Once-rounded cheeks had been replaced with a strong jaw and open face. Sakura focused on his lips for a moment, feeling a twinge of a blush as the desire to kiss him threatened to cloud her judgment. Shaking her head to clear it, the pinkette climbed into bed beside Naruto.

An arm ensnared Sakura even as the sheets fell over her. The moment of panic passed as green eyes flicked across the Hokage's face to find it still sleeping. A second wave of desire washed over the pinkette, but in the end it was the day's exhaustion that won out. Content in the presence offered, Sakura drifted off to sleep.

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Daylight peaked through the curtains as consciousness returned to Sakura. Green eyes fluttered open to find that Naruto had pulled himself against her through the night. His skin was tantalizing close to her and his warmth so enticing. It was so comfy, having like that around her his strong arms, feeling loved and secure was a wonderful sensation. Talking about sensing something, there was another part of him, she was clearly sensing. He was as hard as wood. She wanted to try to touch him like the day before, she wanted to see him all sensitive at her touch. Warmth pooled in her lower belly. Tentatively, her hand approached the waistband of his pajama, tracing the material with a finger. A moment's concern crossed her mind. _I hope he doesn't think me too wanton._

She snapped at attention when he stirred in his sleep. Eyelids still closed, his lips searched blindly for her forehead and he did the cutest thing ever to her. He kissed her forehead softly.

"Good morning Sakura-chan," he mumbled sleepily, as his hands caressed afterward her back. "I want to wake up with you everyday!" Naruto declared with a smile tightening his embrace to bring her more toward him. Her body molded against his firm torso and his hard virility pressed her full of pleasurable promise.

Now that he was awake, her hand caressed the skin of his chest, sliding slowly on his stomach. He pulled her up to be able to kiss her ravenously. _He began first_ , she thought happily as if she had been waiting for his signal to be more bold. Her hand reached the bulge in his pants and tentatively enclosed it through the material. He released abruptly her mouth to gasp at her ministration, his eyes locked on her with some wildness in them.

"I want you!" Naruto stated and as to prove his lust in his act, he removed her panties in a swift motion while kissing her with fervor. His hand began prodding her, she was already so wet that he grew even more excited.

"Do you want me, Sakura?" Naruto asked sultrily, pumping his finger in and out and rubbing her clit with his thumb.

She wanted him. She damn wanted him. But instead of answering verbally, she just pulled his pajama with his underwear down. His cock stood up proudly freed from the confinement and twitched from arousal. He pulled his finger out of her wet cavern and she nearly wanted to complain. But he pressed their body together more tightly making their sex brush against each other. The warm liquid oozing from her and the sensation of her sex rubbing his cock made it hard for him to restrain his desire. He lifted her thigh and propped it against his hips to have a better access to her core. His hand went back to their junctures and positioned the tip of his large member to her entrance. Lust engulfed them as he pressed again his body to her in a sway of hips. He penetrated her with no resistance as she was as eager as him to consummate their union. They were moaning in each other mouth moving their body with passion.

"Sakura..." he grunted in between thrusts. "You drive me crazy!"

She hold for dear life his shoulder as he was pounding hard into her and she wondered how he could dare to say such a thing, when she was unable to even form a single word, just able to moan and pant. It was unbearable. His hands were everywhere, his lips, his tongue, his teeth were tasting each centimeter of her skin and his generous proof of virility was rubbing her inner wall and hammering the perfect spot in her core sending shot of pleasure through her vein. He was her drug and she felt ravaged. "Sakura...Sakura..." He was going faster and harder. She was melting, she was lost, all of her lost to be only his. "Hnnnnnn" He came hard, his body still jerking from the release.

He fell back on her, all his force left, he used his elbow for support to not crush her. He was breathless, his heart trying to escape through his mouth.

"Sorry!" Naruto muttered.

"For what," she asked between puff of air.

The blond inhaled a little more deeply to catch his breath. "I couldn't hold it anymore. I was too excited," he apologized and she laughed a little.

"It's good...I couldn't handle more." Sakura joked.

He kissed tenderly her forehead and rolled on the side to recover from the afterglow. She moved to rest her head on his shoulder. "Sakura..."

She caressed absentmindedly his chest with her finger. His hand came to push behind her ear a lock that was astray on her cheek. "Come and live with me!"

Sakura stopped her movement and lifted her head to drown in the sea of his eyes. "Naruto..."

He laughed and kissed her nose. "I know, you want to take things slowly and you don't want people to know for us now...but if I can't see you outside, you have at least to promise me that you will visit me sometime...to be honest...I will want you here everyday."

She kissed him softly. "I promise, I will come".

They stayed in each other arms a little while longer and he looked at the clock. "If the situation wasn't so complicated at work, I would have faked to be still sick to stay longer with you," Naruto announced, giving her another hug.

Sakura looked at him with a hint of hope in green eyes. "Does that mean you recovered access to your chakra?"

He smiled mischievously and opened wide his arms. "You can check doctor, I am all yours!" Naruto offered letting his body at full display.

She sat up immediately and activated her medical chakra to make a diagnosis; all the connection worked, the system responded. She nodded happily to have him back to health. Her smile faltered realizing the implication. _He would go..._

"You know, you could stay to rest one day or two to build up your chakra reserve. You are still convalescing and …"

He had lifted himself to kiss her and make her stop her rambling. "You know me Sakura-chan..." he murmured his forehead against hers and his eyes closed.

She knew, but it didn't mean that she approved. The warm feeling of his skin on her disappeared and she opened her eyes to see him stand up.

"Naruto! Don't be too reckless!" Sakura pleaded.

A hand on the hips, a seductive smirk on the lips, he teased. "For now, I am just going to the shower."

Her eyes instinctively roamed over his naked body. _This man has no modesty...well...he don't have anything to be ashamed of_.

His eyes smiled catching hers. "Want to join?" Naruto offered half jokingly knowing her answer. He laughed at her offended face and walked to the bathroom hearing her calling him a pervert. She followed his leaving figure with a discreet gaze. _He really does have a nice body_.

XXXXXX

She found Naruto in his kitchen after her shower, he was waiting for the toast to finish to grill. Two mug of fresh coffee were already placed on a tray with a selection of fruits. He smiled at her, placing the slice of bread on a plate.

"Breakfast is ready!" Naruto announced, bringing the tray of food with him to the dining table. There was nothing fancy, but Sakura still felt touched to have him prepare breakfast for her. _We've shared a meal lots of times on missions, but this is our first as a couple_ , she thought with a moment of giddiness.

After the breakfast, he quickly dropped the dishes in the sink telling her that his house-keeper, would take care of it and he went to retrieve his Hokage robe on the chair. They left together his house walking side by side and Naruto took a little detour to accompany her longer on the way to his office as she went to her house to get a fresh set of clothes. As usual, Naruto got greeted by all the passerby and many villagers came out of their house or their shop to salute him. Naruto was really well loved by everyone and a little too much loved by other noisy people to her point of view.

Sakura had seen him grow in popularity when he was candidate to be Hokage, but they didn't get the chance to really hang out together since then. But now, it was nearly insane how many girls were drooling in front of him. She could understand. He was handsome, young, powerful, the hero, Hokage and single...the last part was no more in the list, but nobody seemed to note her presence by his side. It was simply normal. Naruto was walking with his teammate, everybody knowing them since they were kids and for the younger girls, the Hokage was walking with the head medic. It was irritating. How come that he was still so clueless, that those girls wanted to attract his attention. It was so irritating that he was just blatantly nice to everyone. She took his hand and pulled him out of the group of girls. "Let's go! We will be late!"

She didn't let go of his hand even after he was freed from his admirers and continued to pull him along her as she was walking briskly. Her fiancé was too coveted and she began to think that marrying him as fast as possible wasn't such a bad idea finally. He caught up with her and happily intertwined his finger with hers. She didn't know if she wanted to slap him to be so dense in front of those girls or to strangle him to be so cute, so she just feigned to ignore him. Few street after, they had to part way. They released their hands and he felt disappointed, alone, even if she was just in front of him. Naruto passed his now lonely fingers through his hair.

"So...when will I see you again?" the blond asked unsure.

She glanced timidly up to meet his blue gaze. "Aren't you passing tonight to visit my parents?" she inquired shyly.

He beamed. "At what time should I come?"

Sakura thought few seconds trying to plan her day of work. "What about 7pm?"

He nodded. Naruto wanted so much to hug her, but he had to restrain himself. So, he took a step back and waved her goodbye. She stayed immobile looking at his leaving figure.

XXXXXX

Naruto entered the Hokage Tower and went straight to his office. He opened the door and the expression on his face morphed into a frown seeing his double at his place. Shikamaru did continue his masquerade.

"Konohamaru stop that now!" Naruto ordered flatly. The teen flinched at his tone, it was rare for Naruto to scold him. Konohamaru changed back in his normal form and move fast out of Naruto seat. The Hokage advanced with a determined step, his eyes boring holes in Shikamaru.

"I am back in command! I need a complete report of the situation, emergency, meeting and all!" Naruto instructed walking past his desk to take back his seat. Shikamaru sighed, there way no meaning to discuss with the blond. He informed him of his planning and all the important matter.

"So have you sign the documents I had delivered yesterday?" Shikamaru asked with an air of resignation.

All his act of strong imperturbable Hokage crumbled. The blond smiled embarrassed."I forgot them at home..." Naruto turned to Konohamaru and pulled out of his pocket his key. "Can you bring them please? They are on the table in the living room."

Konohamaru took the key and turned to Shikamaru holding his hand. The strategist pulled out of his pocket a ribbon with a seal at the bottom.

The motion got the interest of the Hokage. "What's that?"

"A pass...some security have been established around your house. Nobody can enter without it."

He lifted his blond eyebrow. "My house is monitored?" Naurto repeated with a raised eyebrow.

Shikamaru held on his glare. "You were unconscious with a killer targeting you."

Naruto crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I am awake now and we will take care of this assassin problem, you can call back the ANBU guard."

XXXX

Sakura had directly start a visit of the different services as soon as she entered the hospital. Better to see for herself the situation first. She passed the nurse office and inspected the report. Many nurses regrouped around her and she wondered worry in their eyes, reminded her of the fright that all of them have lived that day. The medical secret had been kept, but none of them have forgotten of the event.

"The Hokage is safe and back in health." Sakura assured them with a smile. A wave of relief passed over the collected nurses as the head medic before moved off to continue her visit.

She passed to the next floor and crossed paths with Hikaru. Since their break-up the man rarely talked to her, going to the point to avoid even eyes contact with her usually. But today, he stopped in the middle of the corridor looking at her making her way to the next office department. She felt awkward and lowered her gaze to greet him politely. She wasn't in bad term with him, she was just uncomfortable to have break his heart selfishly to try to save hers.

"He's safe, if you are here...you would never have left his side otherwise," he pointed. There was some jealousy involved for sure in his comment, a sour venom that was spilling in his guts. He had witnessed everything that day, her fear, her despair, her devotion... he had known why she had beento such extend to move all rules of life and death for him. And he was jealous.

Sakura tried to hide behind some professionalism. "The Hokage is safe," she confirmed and he snorted passing her. It was sad, it was selfish, but he had wished that she would fail.

 **NO REVIEW = NO UPDATE!**

 **NOW YOU KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT FROM ME!**


	22. Chapter 22

**CHAPTER CORRECTED THANKS TO INUGIRL 504 FOR BETA READING IT!**

 _JaPaNsHoNeNaI98: thank you! chapters comes as reader comment. I hope you will continue to enjoy it!_

 _Guest: The parent's meeting come soon, very soon ;)_

 _Dieinhapiness: thank you! thank you very much. Even just a word that show you liked the chapter or not is important to me!_

 _Guest007: I am trying to find a beta reader for my other story to help the actual one doing it. I make it slow on purpose to not finish it too fast without finding someone._

 _Troa95: I hope you will not be disappointed by this chapter, I know how much you've waited for it and I am really bad at action scene. Sorry_

 _The reader234: I am so happy that you like it, my dear Hikaru will reappear, maybe not in the way you expect him to be. I hope you will cotinue to enjoy my story. Please continue to give me your thought, for me to understand better what you, my reader, like or dislike._

 _EdkingV: You definitely read faster than I wrote it ;) For the update, it all depend on my reader. There is reader, there is chapter, it's my new motto. It's nearly all done, finishing some correcting, the review will be the key for further update or brutal ending._

 _Naru285: I really do love Naruto and my story. I try hard (even if my skill is not that good). I should have put a betting pool for who is the killer. As the author I could have earn some easy bet ;)_

 _Danny Ketchum: And I suppose Hikuru want to punch Naruto too_

 _Tip's: Sakura is a jealous one (just look how she is always so possesive with Naruto in the anime without realising it herself). The parent's meeting arrive soon_

 _Burt: Thank you!_

 _SlumberNight: You appeared in my day like a true sunshine. I have loved every of your review. If you had a account, I would have love to PM you to express my thanks more throrougly. Your reply to your review: 1)I agree why the hell this bastard took Sakura away from Naruto. Sasuke and Karin, it's fun! and Sasuke had shown more respect to Karin than to Sakura throught all the anime. 2)Did you see Naruto face at Gaara death... it would not have gone well for him if he didn't revive. 4)Thank you for reviewing, to tell you a little secret, you managed to pull me out of my dislike of writing and I have finish the first chapter of my third Naruto story. 5/My Naruto is a mix of the both. 6/ what a shame, I would love to have know more about your feeling on this chapter. 7/I am writing a book, but in french XD 8/Thanks 10/I wanted to have it borderline, close to fall and just having the revelation at the last second 15/Don't Die! I have more chapters! 17/You don't know how scary it is to write in silence. The doubt can eat you alive. 18/Thank you for this share with me, it's really touching. Wish you happiness. 19/Aren't they cute together? NaruSaku power!21/ So many thanks!*grateful tears*_

 _aize28: New chapter! enjoy it!_

 _Guest: NaruSaku power! The fight must go on!_

 ** _Hello guys! I need a volunteer to read the first draft of my first chapter for my third Naruto fic. Anyone is interested to tell me if I should continue or throw it away? PM please to see how I can share it with you!_**

 **CHAP 22**

Naruto positioned himself at his desk and invited Shikamaru to brief him on the result of the investigation and their other matter at hand. He listened very carefully to his advisor, deep in thought. So from what he understood, he had been a target possibly because his presence was bothering some weapon dealer and terrorist who have formed an illegal organization and that he was the main character securing the peace and the alliance. The leader of this organization was possibly a scientist and esoteric user, able to teleport or something as he was always ''vanishing'' from the location as soon as entered the ninja team. It reminded him another mission, he took care of a year and half ago with Sasuke. The man had as well teleported via an esoteric circle on the floor. Could he be the same man?

"Do we know where he is now?" Naruto questioned.

"We have a undefined estimation of the area where his hide-out is, but we are not yet able to locate him precisely. He keeps himself on the move. He's like a ghost." answered the strategist. Naruto was deep in thought for a moment then stood up.

"Oi! Where are you going?" asked his advisor apprehensive.

Naruto flashed him a grin. "To the meeting... I have a ton of work to catch up on" he announced.

The Nara heir sighed. Naruto stopped just before leaving the room and dispatched a clone to sit in his office. Shikamaru thought that the blond had prefer to sacrifice one of his clones instead of Konohamaru's life to play the target. It was not a bad move.

They spent the whole morning solving many minor problems that could lead if not well treated to a bigger issue. The list of things to do in the few days of his leave had increased so much that his head was spinning. Nope, being Hokage was not a fun job and the elder that kept arguing on every decision he made were not helping one bit. One of the old geezers was again complaining that the Hokage was too young to be the protector of the village. The prideful blond stood up, not wanting to waste any more time in futile discussion. He stared hard at his detractor, authority and power emanating from his lean figure.

"I may be young... but I will protect this village at any cost, like I have always done... this is my ninja way. For all your sentimental opinion toward my person, bear with it until I pass over the Hokage title. The people, my masters and my peers have entrusted me with this duty. I will do my best until the very end." he declared. The room became silent. Nobody dared to protest in front of such charisma. The meeting took an halt the second the Hokage stepped out of the room, Shikamaru by his side.

"I am quite glad that you put them back to their place, they were really troublesome and unproductive." the Nara Heir said with a grin.

"I've wanted to do that for so long. Serves them right." Naruto snickered. "For now, I have better things to do. Can you show me on the map the location you have for the terrorists' hide-out?"

"What do you want to do with it?" the strategist asked suspiciously as he followed naruto into his office.

The blonde opened a map on his desk staying up while his clone was in deep meditation. "I have gathered enough natural energy to replace my low chakra reserve. With Sage mode added to my activated form I should be able to locate our enemy. If he is the same crazy freak I met with Sasuke, I would be able to track his chakra signature in a limited area and find his hide-out"

The strategist evaluated the idea... that could work. But he was sure that the blond was thinking to go there by himself. "Don't get me wrong... you're a real drag for me. However, I know I would waste my time trying to convince you not to go. So I am going with you and we'll at least take an ANBU with us."

The blonde crossed his arms over his chest and thought. "No, you will slow me down, I will go faster by myself."

Shikamaru leaned his palm flat on the map "I knew that you would say that. I have an idea on who to take with us. Anyway, either you take me with you or I won't tell you where it is."

The blonde Hokage pouted and Shikamaru called for the Cat ANBU to come. The strategist was explaining the possible location when the masked man entered. Naruto glanced at the mask. "You can take the mask off Sai, I know it's you, I can feel your chakra signature in sage mode."

The artist lifted his concealment and revealed a very amused smirk, rather unusual coming from Sai. "Is there something funny?" The blonde asked curious.

With his customary bluntness, the pale man reply in all honesty. "I saw your face and it made me remember that you were quite noisy this morning."

Naruto paled and blushed at the same time, then punched Sai. during this, Shikamaru was trying desperately to suppress his laughter. Naruto glanced darkly to his advisor. "That's why I don't want any ANBU at my house... I can't have any privacy with those guys around... even less Sai!" the blonde complained and turned his glance to the pale man "Don't make any more comments and keep this information for yourself. Don't tell it to your girlfriend either, that would be the worst... everybody would know in no time and Sakura would kill me! She doesn't want anyone to know about us for now."

Sai tilted his head not understanding the reasoning. "Why is that? She was quite happy with you this morning from what I heard."

This was too much and a laugh escaped the strategist while Naruto turned few shade more red.

"I-I-I don't know! Girl stuff... She wants me to meet her parents first, I think." the blonde stuttered.

Shikamaru dried a tear of laughter. "Oh old fashioned!" the Nara heir commented.

"It's normal to inform her parents first that we will get married!" Naruto blurted defending his precious Sakura and bit his tongue when he realized that he said too much.

"You're really a troublesome guy! You can't just date her and leave us in peace... You have to ask her to marry you and put that stupid idea in all of our girlfriends' minds..." Shikamaru complained irritated at the bunch of complication this information would bring in his life.

XXXXX

Sakura closed the door of her office and began to review her report. With all the personnel asking her about the Hokage's health, she hadn't been able to stop thinking about him. She read the first page of the report and some sweet memories of her morning time with him popped in her head. She grunted. She was supposed to be calm and collected at work, but it seems he had completely shattered this precious peace of mind. She shook her head to get the image out of her mind and tried to stay focused on her duty. She had a ton of administrative work to catch up on; reports, inventory, medical purchase, and more.

She abandoned the medical report when her brain clashed at the syllable ''sex'' on the word sexagenarian. Her state was worst than what she had imagined. She could not even read properly. She inhaled deeply. She had other duty to do... Some very boring inventory should calm all form of wandering of her brain on inappropriate subject.

XXXXX

Sai released his sacred beast bird jutsu after the group landed not far from the hide-out that Naruto had sensed. Shikamaru discussed a strategy and the three men entered the place, Naruto leading the group to where he tracked their enemy. The sorcerer did not disappear this time when he saw Naruto in person coming straight to him. Instead, an evil smirk marred his pallid face. Shikamaru and Sai, two steps behind Naruto, were blocked by an energy barrier as soon as they got into view of their target.

The strategist screamed "There is a barrier... It's a trap!" He could do nothing else but see the blonde aiming at the man and stopping from a powerful genjutsu, the body becoming slack, the hand releasing the kunai and witness him fall like a puppet without string.

The man laughed like a madman. "I got him!" he chanted while sealing the body with a sealing jutsu. "Every man has a weakness! I'll admit, you surprised me to have survived my special chakra virus... I am still wondering how you could when it took me months to perfect it!" He smirked, pleased as the body looked like a mummy now. "You took away my demon, but now, I'm taking yours!" he declared proudly. He gasped in surprise as the mummy emptied itself in a puff of smoke and the Hokage appeared at the same moment at his feet holding the kunai. Everything happened in the blink of an eye. A pulse of chakra and a swift movement, Naruto plunged the kunai into the man's chest before the man could recover from his trick.

The sorcerer wobbled, eyes wide from pain and surprise, still realizing yet what has happened. _'_ _How_ _was_ _the Hokage able to escape his m_ _u_ _mmy seal and the_ _genjutsu_ _?_ _'_ Blood poured from his wound, falling on the Hokage still in his crouched position, the kunai deep-rooted in his heart. _'_ _How could he...?_ _'_ The barrier evaporated by itself as the man fell...dead. The young Hokage joined his two friends.

"I told you that there would be a trap" Shikamaru said to the blonde man arriving to his level.

"And I told you that I had more than one trick up my sleeve, but it was a good idea to send my clone first." he admitted "My father's raijin technique was very useful for the surprise effect and put me exactly at the right spot to give him a fatal wound."

XXXXX

Sakura closed the laboratory storage. At least there had been no way to have fantasies while counting boring supplies. She wrote down at the bottom of the report her name. Tomorrow she would send the request for the purchase, but not now. It was already half past six and she hadn't told her parents yet that Naruto was coming over tonight. She could imagine her mother scolding her for not telling her that 'The Hokage' was visiting them. She quickly arranged the document in her folder and took off her white lab coat. Her assistant entered in her office asking her if she could check the division report.

Sakura accepted them and put them in her bag. "I'll read them at home and give you my opinion tomorrow." the head med-nin informed her and stood up from her chair to leave. Her assistant looked at her in surprise. Sakura was usually the type to stay working in the hospital instead of taking work home. Sakura had been acting strange today, she remembered her banging her head against her desk this morning when she came to bring the mail in her office. She must be breaking under a lot pressure from the over-work and the stress of dealing with the responsibility of the Hokage's health.

Her mother came to the door, curious of why her daughter was coming back from work 'early'. First she had disappeared for days on a secret mission, she didn't even get to see her this morning, just noting that her clothes had been left in the laundry basket. Now, her daughter was announcing to her that 'Naruto', 'Hokage-sama' her mother corrected her immediately, was visiting them tonight. Her mother entered a full turmoil. "Why didn't you tell us sooner? I could have prepared something decent for him."

Sakura, unfazed, took off her shoes. "Mom, it's just Naruto! Just because he became Hokage, doesn't mean that he won't be happy with whatever you've prepared... His favorite food is Ramen, so don't worry!"

Her mother put her hand on her hips and looked angrily at her daughter. "You really have no shame in treating our Hokage like that! Come and help me in the kitchen instead of talking nonsense!"

XXXXX

The sacred bird beast landed on the Hokage tower rooftop. Naruto smiled satisfied to have ended one of the long list of problems that he had to take care of. Shikamaru followed him to his office answering his question about the other urgent subjects that are on his list. The Hokage went to sit at his desk with a pout seeing more scrolls dropped in front of him. On a usual day, Shikamaru would have certainly let the Hokage work a little longer. But Naruto face was somewhat paler than when they had left for this mission, reminding him that even with his loud mouth, Naruto was still recovering.

"Naruto... Just leave that for today and go get some rest! Ask your girlfriend to take care of you." suggested the strategist. Hearing the word girlfriend, Naruto snapped his head up toward the clock and shrieked. It was already this late! He looked down at his state of dressing, his Hokage robe and his shirt was covered in blood, and horrified he confirmed the time.

"What's wrong Naruto?" inquired worried the Nara heir.

"I have to meet with Sakura's parents at 7 exactly!" the blonde answered like if it was the thing the most important in the world. Hastily, he opened the lower drawer of his desk and panicked seeing it empty. He generally kept there a spare of clothes for the day when he didn't go back home at night. But unfortunately, like luck could never be on his side for this type of thing, he had already used his spare on the day he got poisoned. The blonde stopped abruptly and looked up and down at Shikamaru.

"Give me your shirt!" he ordered taking off his own garment. The strategist refused blatantly. It was not his problem and he had no reason to get to wear a bloody shirt. Naruto didn't hesitated, in emergency situation, emergency measure are needed, and he jumped on his friend to undress him. As anyone could expect, Shikamaru fought back, but Naruto, more use at close combat and having more strength than the intellectual ninja, got the upper hand.

Konohamaru and Moegi finishing their mission of the day came in the Hokage's office to drop their scroll found the two men in a compromising position. Naruto, topless, was straddling Shikamaru to hold him still while taking off his shirt. Moegi got a nosebleed at the scene and Konohamaru shook his head in disapproval. "Naruto-Nii-san... I would never have thought, you, more than anyone else, would prefer the male gender."

Naruto knitted his eyebrow, not understanding the statement and finally realized the position he was in with Shikamaru. "It's not what you think! My shirt is dirty and I have a very important meeting."

The strategist used his inattention to free himself. He stood up and took off his shirt to throw it at the blonde's face. "Take it and leave me in peace! Just bring it back clean at least!"

Konohamaru side-glanced at Moegi who was still bleeding from seeing the two sexy men shirtless. "Get a hold of yourself! It's just Naruto-nii-san, come on... not you too! stop fantasizing!"

 **Thank you for reviewing  
**


	23. Chapter 23

**CHAPTER CORRECTED THANKS TO DESCRIPTION ALIVE FOR BETA READING IT**

 _LaDdraig: Thank you! thank you for your patience_

 _Dieinhappiness: thank you, there will be more and more narusaku_

 _AquaRules: I always found it funny those misunderstanding. I hope you will like Naruto dinner. Thank you for your constant support. I really really appreciate_

 _EdKingV: don't worry sakura will soon open up to the relation as she is deadly the jealous type ;) Thank you!_

 _Thereader234: I am so happy that you like it. I am so often afraid that I cannot convey thing through my lack knowledge. thank you for your review!_

 _aize28: Thank you very much! I hope you will like the new chapter_

 _Didi du 94: merci_

 _Troa95: As everything I do, I do it for a purpose. This assassin was a link through the story as he appeared first with Sasuke and helped introduce the caractere of Momoe. But it was true that I could have made Hikaru the accomplice. Maybe for the sequel ;). I hope you will find the dinner funny. For your writing, try and work hard is the best advise. It took me more than 1000hours of work to complete them, it was hard and painful but I have learn a lot, and seeing you appreciating it is my biggest reward. Thank you to have bear with my clumsy writing and to give me so much courage. Thank you so much_

 _Slumbernight: He didn't recover because the chakra virus cut the connection with the chakra, no matter how many demon you've got. But don't worry, he will be back to health soon, just the time to be more pampered by sakura (more fluffy moment)_

 _Naru285: I laughed myself imagining that scene. I am happy to have made you smile! Thank you for sharing your though_

 _YeungNinja: Thank you very much, I will stop for a while to write my third story will stay at the first chapter for until I motivate myself. I am not eager to see more of what the manga have become as I think that It's unbearably painful for a narusaku lover the twist of fate of the ending. Thank you so much for your support and I hope my stories will continue to please you._

 _Blaze01245: thank you!_

 _Guest007: I try to have almost the same content at every chapter. I have noticed that too long chapter tend to lose the focus of the reader at the end and people skip too long description. Thank you for your comment and your patience._

 _ultranx: thank you for your comment and your patience_

 _Lunesme: Thank you so much for your warm comment. Indeed it was a hard work as it was not my original language and I have to thank particularily all my beta reader that have help me grow in this task. If you're a narusaku fan I can give you one particular author that I hold dear in my heart in PM. This author is even more amazing than me (she is my master in everything). I hope you will continue to like my stories (I have published as well another narusaku story called: "dangerous infiltration mission"). thank you so much!_

 _22: Thank you so much for your comment and thank you for your patience_

 _NighWendigo: Thank you so much for your warm comments! Yeah Hikaru is angry but it's human. For the action scene, I am sure that one day I will do better but i am not so much interested in action scene, so my brain tend to skip it ;P_

 _Narusakulove: Thank you very much, I hope you will continue to like the stories._

 **Chap 23**

Naruto changed as fast as he could and rushed to the bathroom to clean his face so he could at very least look presentable. Realizing he didn't have any more time to waste, he left the office, jumping from his window. He made his way over the rooftops before landing in front of a candy shop. He had thought about getting flowers at first, but the prospect of being interrogated by a very curious Ino had prompted him to reconsider in the end. Sweets were a safer choice. He took back to the rooftops to avoid to be stopped by the villagers that were always eager to see him. He really didn't have any time to spare now–in three minutes, it would be seven pm. He wasn't known to be particularly punctual anyway, but he couldn't imagine being late on a day like today. The young Hokage landed, panting hard as he steeled himself before ringing the doorbell.

Sakura started at the sound of the bell, turning to look at the clock.

"He's perfectly on time," she commented to herself, happy that Naruto was actually serious about the whole "meeting the parents" thing.

"It's Naruto! I'll get it!" the pinkette said.

"You will refer to him as Hokage-Sama! You have no respect! Do not bring me shame, be polite!" her mother berated.

With her apron still on, Sakura went to open the door and green met blue. They blushed, seeing each other for the first time since this morning. All day, she had been able to distract herself from thinking about him with doing inventory and dealing with her annoying mother. The head-medic had thought that she would be fine and that her brain had gotten ahold of the situation, but seeing him all blushing and cute made all her many _many_ troubling emotions resurface.

The blond timidly greeted her, "Hello, Sakura-chan... you look cute in that apron," he commented shyly. It was beginning to feel like his guts were caught in a a tornado–to have to meet her parents _and_ have her dressed like that in front of him. She looked so adorable. It was as if his little wife were coming to open the door to greet him. What a great fantasy.

They stayed looking like two idiots in love just blushing and smiling at each other until Sakura's mother came in, scolding her daughter for not having yet invited inside their honorable Hokage.

Naruto politely bowed to Sakura's mother, "Nice to see you again, Miss Haruno; and you can just call me Naruto."

Her mother blushed and laughed, flattered by the charming gesture. Sakura really appreciated the teachings in manner he'd received from Tsunade; he was much more gentlemanly now.

Sakura's mother chuckled, "Please, dear, you're the Hokage! I wouldn't want to be improper."

Her fiancé smiled and Sakura knew that he had completely won over her mother, "I insist, Naruto is enough."

Sakura crossed her arms in front of her chest with a victorious smile, "I told you he wouldn't want you to bother with his title. Look! He's not even wearing his robes!"

Naruto followed the two women into the living room and her mother urged him onto the sofa. "Sakura, stay with our guest while I prepare him something to drink. Your father shouldn't be long now. Would you prefer sake? Beer?"

Sakura answered for him, "No alcohol; a tea, please. He's been sick recently, it wouldn't be good for him."

The woman frowned at her daughter dictating the choice of their Hokage, but Naruto smiled, "I follow the advice of my doctor," he said approvingly.

Her mother left and Sakura glanced at Naruto, noticing his face was a little pale, "How do you feel?" she asked, worried that he should've stayed home to rest one more day instead of going to work.

Naruto threw her a small smile, "I'm a bit nervous, but I'm doing my best!" he answered, not completely confident in how the rest of the night would turn out.

The medic sighed exasperatedly, "Not about that! I meant physically… You seem tired."

He laughed, "Ah! It was just a hectic day at work; can't really leave for few days without having to be smothered in paperwork when I get back. It's always a mess at the office when I get home from a mission."

Sakura frowned, "You shouldn't overwork yourself, you know; you're still recovering. Your chakra reserve is weak. Look at you! You're as pale as Sai."

The young Hokage smiled awkwardly, glad he'd changed his shirt before coming. If she'd seen the blood that'd stained it, she would have lectured him hard about going out on missions after what happened with the assassin. He decided it was time to change the subject, "How was your day?"

She sighed, "Not as bad as yours, I'm sure, but I still had a lot of catch-up to do."

Sakura felt the warmth of his hand on hers as he gave it a small encouraging squeeze. As she drowned in the cerulean blue of his eyes, she wondered if he had always looked at her with so much love.

"Thank you for making some time for me to come visit your parents. I know that you would've preferred to wait, but I really appreciate that we took this step together now."

Her heart skipped a beat, tightening in her chest. _Why on hearth did I want_ _to wait more for him? Was I_ _out of my_ _mind when I_ _said that? There are thousands_ _of girls who are dreaming_ _about him and I_ _wanted to make him wait for me_ …

The sound of the door opening and a man's voice calling from the doorway told Sakura that her father was finally home. Naruto stood up and she mourned the loss of the warmth of his hand when an older man appeared in front of them.

"Oh! We have a visitor! Welcome, Lord Seventh! I hope you're not here to tell me that my daughter's been causing trouble at work," her father joked.

Naruto bowed respectfully to greet him before he straightened up his back again, smiling, "Sakura-chan is exceptional at work. I don't think anyone at the hospital could do a better job than she could, not even her master. I owe her a lot for what she's done for me, even my life," her fiancé praised, making her blush a pretty pink from her head to her toes. Her father smiled proudly.

"Come, please, take a seat! It's not everyday that we have such an honorable guest in our home!"

Naruto sat back on the couch again, "Please, call me Naruto! I'm off duty."

With his usual cheerfulness, her father accepted, patting his shoulder joyfully while sitting down across from him, "Well! If you insist!"

After her father had cracked a few jokes, Naruto relaxed a little, comfortable in the now informal environment. Sakura's mother eventually returned with their drinks, taking a seat beside her husband. Naruto watched them in quiet awe. They'd been married for so long and yet they still looked so in love. He secretly hoped that Sakura would love him that long. He took a sip of his tea.

"How come you've never visited us before? You were her teammate, weren't you?" Sakura's father asked, quickly making the younger man uncomfortable, despite it being a reasonable question.

Naruto smiled, embarrassed, "I never used to visit my friends' families when I was kid; and now that I'm an adult, my work keeps me busy," the blond said, not admitting the fact that none of his friends' parents at the time had ever allowed their kids to be near him. The young Hokage gulped, preparing himself for what he was about to say.

Holding Sakura's hand in his, Naruto took the plunge, "But the reason I came today was to ask for your permission to have your daughter's hand. I love her from the bottom of my heart, and I swear I'll do my best to take care of her and make her happy. Please, allow me to marry her!" he spoke quickly, the dusting of a blush across his cheeks as he bowed his head respectfully. His heart was pounding in his chest, afraid of the answer he would get.

He suddenly felt all the blood drain from his face when her father blurted a blunt "No!"

Everything happened so fast. His head jerked up to see if her father was joking, but the blond instead barely caught sight of him flying across the room, her mother standing where her husband used to be in a punching-stance. The woman sat back in her seat as if nothing had happened, and Sakura beside him hid her face in her hands.

"Don't mind my husband! He loves stupid jokes, haha!" her mother laughed, "We would be honored for you to marry our daughter," she answered, laughing nervously.

Sakura squeezed his hand, showing her support as her father came stumbling back to the couch, sitting down and sending a dark glare to the young man in front of him. The older man was no longer cheerful, nor friendly, and Naruto kept glancing back and forth between her father and her mother.

The older woman turned her head toward her husband, scowling at him, "Stop glaring at our guest!"

The man crossed his arms in front of his chest, sulking, "Give me one good reason I should let this boy steel away my precious daughter!"

His wife caught him by the collar, choking him, "There are thousands of reasons!" she half-screamed.

He pouted childishly, "I don't care! She's my Sakura!"

Her mother was ready to argue again, but Sakura intervened, "I love him! And even if that's not reason enough for you, I'm still gonna marry him! I just wanted you to accept us…"

Hearing Sakura declaring her love for him was so foreign to Naruto, he had a hard time wrapping his mind around it. Just listening to her defending their union was making his heart burst with joy. If the moment weren't so inappropriate, he would have hugged her.

Her father deflated completely. He definitely wanted his daughter to be happy, but he had greedily thought that she would stay his little girl forever. He had nothing in particular against the young Hokage–the boy had defended their village and the world, after all. Naruto was known to be a good boy–always nice to everyone and a hard working person. No, he really didn't have nothing personal against him–only that the boy was asking to take his beloved daughter away from him. The older man looked into her eyes, seeing nothing but determination. His gaze moved down to their joined hands; they were in love. He had no right to keep her for himself.

His face softened; she had grown up so much. He could still remember the day when she was born. She was so cute, her pink hair making her look like the petal off a Sakura tree. He thought about how she used to hide behind him and grip the leg of his pants when she was a kid–it was as if all that had just happened yesterday. And now… now she was a woman. A woman in love. He held back a sniffle.

"I only want you to be happy… and if he makes you happy, then… Alright," her father declared, "But you'll have to promise to come visit your old man a whole lot!"

Sakura smiled, running her thumb lightly across the back of Naruto's hand, "I'll visit… _We'll_ visit!" she accepted, Naruto nodding faster than a bobblehead doll next to her.

Her mother was ecstatic, her father smiling lovingly. The older woman stood up to hug them both. The Hokage was going to marry her daughter. She took Naruto's face in her hands, looking deep into his eyes, "I am sure you will take good care of her. I saw it the first day you came to see her when she was sick," the older woman declared. The young groom-to-be smiled tentatively, his cheek pressed against his fiancé's mother's hand.

Her father stood when his wife released the boy, reaching his hand out to him. "If she chose you, I trust her. But she is my baby girl, so you'd better take good care of her!" he warned, no actual force behind his words, "Welcome in the family!"

The approval of her father had somehow lightened the atmosphere in the room. This was a giant leap in their relationship. It was official. She would marry him; there would be no more hesitation; no turning back now.

Her mother invited them all to move over to the table and Sakura stood up without releasing Naruto's hand. The blond followed her, his cheeks still pink. He was happy. He was accepted by even her father now and it made him happier than he could've imagined. He was part of a family–her family. His fingers tightly intertwined with hers as he walked beside her to sit at the table, all while remaining uncharacteristically silent. He was afraid that if he opened his mouth, his heart might jump out, the organ still beating wildly in his chest. If this was a dream, he didn't ever want to wake up.

Naruto was beaming, hearts in his eyes, letting himself get led around like a puppy by his now-official fiancé. Suddenly, he felt Sakura release his hand, telling him that she was going to go help her mother for a second, bringing him back down to earth. The young Hokage looked up, his eyes finally meeting the scrutiny of her father. He smiled clumsily and swallowed thickly.

"So, Naruto, when do you plan on marrying my daughter?" the man asked, making Sakura stop in the doorway.

Naruto felt discomfort start to settle over him. He looked down at his empty plate, resigned, "Well, we plan to wai–" he began before Sakura cut him off.

"We'll get married as soon as possible. Because Naruto's the Hokage, we'll have to wait for the proper arraignments." She smiled at her fiancé and he gaped back before returning the gesture, his heart going back to fluttering happily.

Sakura's mother came in then, apologizing for her simplistic dishes. Naruto waved her off, telling her that it was more than perfect for him. The dinner went over smoothly as the blond let out his natural charm without even knowing it, now more confident in his relationship with Sakura. And with his cheerful nature, his admirable attitude, and his simple honesty, by the end of it, her parents were both telling him to come back and visit anytime as Sakura accompanied him to the door.

They stood outside in front of her house now in complete silence, neither of them wanting to let the other go and neither of them knowing what to say. They'd parted ways millions of times in the past, but this was different. They were no longer hiding, no longer in denial–they were no longer suppressing their feelings in fear of them not being returned. They weren't just "friends" anymore. Sakura was staring down at the floor timidly and Naruto was at a loss for words, not even a stupid comment on his tongue.

"I–" "I..." they both began at the same time. They laughed.

"You first," the blond offered.

"I think that went well. My parents really like you," she commented.

He reached for her hand, tangling his fingers with hers, "I'm glad," he replied.

Naruto looked down at her face; she had such a tender smile. He was so mesmerized by the deep forest in her eyes that his body started to move by itself, bending slowly to claim her lips. But before he reached her, his fiancée pushed his face away.

"Not here! My parents will see us!" Sakura whispered, making him laugh.

"I think they've figured out by now that we've already kissed before, if I'm here asking for your hand."

Sakura blushed crimson, knowing very well that they'd done much more than just kiss, "N-Not here!" she stuttered, torn between her desire and her shyness. It was the first time she'd ever brought a man home to her parents, and she couldn't imagine getting caught making out with him, seeing as their kisses always seemed to turn into something more.

He obliged, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable. He might not have had parents of his own, but he could understand her desire to keep her private life private. Naruto looked to her hopefully, "Do you want to come home with me tonight?"

There was something sensual in his proposal and she shuddered at the implication of it. She broke eye contact with him, trying not to give in to the tempting demon in front of her. "I can't..." she murmured with some disappointment. His hand came up and brushed few strands of hair out of her face. Respectfully, he kissed her forehead. Her eyes snapped up to him. "Why did you do that?"

"Your forehead is so cute, I just couldn't resist kissing it..." Naruto replied honestly, scratching his cheek. He had always loved her forehead; it was like her pink hair or her beautiful smile... just one of the little things that made her special.

Her legs turned weak at his words. Her whole life, she'd felt so insecure about her forehead and he just complimented it as if it were the most natural thing in the world to do. _Oh, screw it._ She crashed her lips against his, draping her arms around his neck and standing on the tips of her toes. He was caught off guard by it at first, but quickly responded.

Sakura begrudgingly released his mouth, chuckling when she saw his eyes sparkling from the unexpected treat he got. She restrained herself from jumping on him again, "You should go rest," she advised.

Her fiancé nodded obediently, taking hold of her hand again, "When will I get to see you again?" he asked.

The weight of his fingers against hers made her crave even more of his touch, "We can have lunch tomorrow after your check-up," she offered, tucking a curl of pink hair behind her ear to distract herself from him.

He smiled genuinely, lifting her fingers to his mouth for a chaste kiss. "I can't wait for tomorrow..." Naruto whispered before wishing her a good night and jumping silently to the rooftops.

She stayed outside for a few minutes to calm herself down before she walked back to her house. Her mother popped her head out of the kitchen when Sakura came in, surprised to see her daughter back, "You didn't leave with him?" the older woman asked, confused.

Sakura flinched when her father slammed his hand down on the table angrily, "What a stupid idea to give to our daughter! Sakura is a good girl and she'll wait until the wedding before doing something like that!" he yelled to his wife.

Sakura smiled sheepishly. _Too late, Dad..._

Her mother walked in front of her husband with a scowl, "Nobody waits for that kind of thing anymore–we didn't!" she countered, "Be grateful he even came asking for permission to marry her! You don't see that too often these days!"

Her father looked ready to reply, but stopped, seeing his wife cross her arms defiantly, "Lord Seventh is a good-looking man, I'm sure that they'll make beautiful kids together. Don't you want to play with your grandchildren?" she finished.

The image of having another baby Sakura in his lap crossed his mind, "Well… I suppose it's bound to happen eventually anyway," he conceded. Sakura's mother nodded happily and gave a thumbs up to her daughter. Sakura was flustered, hiding her face in her hands, creeped out by hearing her parents discussing her sex life so openly. The pinkette escaped to her room, not wanting to hear any more from them tonight.

XXXX

Naruto pushed open the door to his house. The lights were off and everything was clean and in order. He took off his shoes and made his way to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. It felt lonely to be in this big house all by himself. It felt even more lonely remembering her standing here smiling at him. The blond abandoned the glass in the sink and went straight for a shower. _I should just go to bed so_ _tomorrow will come faster._ Naruto stayed under the warm water for a moment, letting his aching muscles relax. The day had been long and it had affected him more than he'd thought it would. He would definitely need a few more days of recovery before he could get back into the swing of things.

The blond dried himself off and didn't bother to put anything on before he slid under the covers. He buried his face in the pillow she'd slept on last night, hoping to find a trace of her scent; but his housekeeper must have changed the sheets sometime during the day, because all he could smell was the freshness of soap. Naruto regretted forgetting to leave her a note to not do the bed. He would have loved nothing more than to fall asleep to his fiancé's perfume. He groaned into the pillow. What was he going to do? Love was even harder to deal with than the nine-tails dark chakra.

XXXXX

 _AUTHOR NOTE: The next chapter will be released with some delay as the first beta-reader drop off and the second don't give me any clues of when the chapter will be ready or if it will be ready someday._

 _COMPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For those that complain that I ask for feed-back, I want to remind them that English is not my first language. I had needed lot of work to write those stories and even more to make it corrected. Just to give you a small order of idea, I took me over 1000 hours of my time between my two stories and I am still under the truth of how much work I had needed for this. I love to write and I have done it for free, to share it with people. But I have absolutely no obligation to continue to publish, if I have no reader._

 _A clic on the page doesn't mean anything (it could be a mistake), a favorite or a followed story is already nicer, but the reader could have grown tired of my story in the middle and gave up on it (I do that a lot too, if the story doesn't interest me anymore). So the only way for me to know if my story have been appreciated, to know what was good and what was bad, is through my reader who comment. You can call me selfish, unworthy or whatever you like. But I need to know how my work is received to continue to work and make work other people (many beta reader have generously gave me some of their time for this stories, I don't want to bother them for nothing)._

 _It's not only about being praised, I admit that it give me hope and motivate me to see that people have liked my work, I accept constructive criticism as it help me grow as a writer. I do feel insecure every time I post a chapter and I don't have any more time left to work for something that it is not appreciated. I have worked 100 time harder than when I write in my native language. My job is done and if the matter was just to write for my own pleasure, I can stop publishing already. But you have to know, that I never ever wrote just for me. I always had in mind what my reader would think or like, how I could surprise them, because I love to share more that anything else. But sharing could not be in one way only for me. So if nobody think it is a decent story enough to write a review, I will just pass on publishing it._

 _Thank you for understanding my motive!_

 _ **Please review if you want to read more of my work!**_


	24. Chapter 24

**CHAPTER CORRECTER THANKS TO NIGHWENDIGO FOR BETA READING IT**

 _aize 28: thank you!_

 _Lunesme: It is my pleasure to reply to you as you were kind enough to share with me your though. I imagine Naruto taking really seriously all this family stuff. He never had a family and he must have fantasize it. I also hope that you've like the other author I recommended you. Thank you!_

 _The Reader234: Children always stay children for their parents. I am happy that I made you laugh. Thank you!_

 _Danny Ketchum: There will be some events here and there, but let's Naruto have some nice moments. He deserves them after all the suffering he went through. I hope you will still like the story. Thank you!_

 _ultranx: Thank you! The next chapter is here!_

 _nakhodchivost: Thank you to share with me your though and I understand them. Let me explain to you in another manner my point of view. I agree that stories over 100 reviews is rare as are stories over two chapters. In other words, when I post something and see people visiting it in a boredom curiosity and not leaving a review, I am just wondering "what have I done wrong?" (No review means I didn't hit the mark to initiate a reaction from my reader, they were not pleased enough to tell me "good" or "I like this" or "I would have love to see that"... So I failed as a writer to touch my public). You can not have anything new to say, I don't ask you to be shakespear or original, I just wanted to know your though, what you like or felt about my work. Not more. As I am sitting in front of my computer, alone, reviews are the only connection I have with your opinion about each chapter. Critique, comment, what you like or dislike, are what will help me write better or simply motivate me to write more. Reviews are really important to the writer, no matter how repetitive and simple they are. Would you make the effort to use more than 1000 hours of your time if your work was not appreciate or worth it? I would not, I have better things to do in that case. I hope you understand me better. Thank you!_

 _ashjin20: Thank you! It's a lot thank to all my beta readers that my work is less painful to read, or it would be full of grammatical mistake. Thank you very much!_

 _Diein happiness: Narusaku forever! They are so cute together... Thank you to have share with me!_

 _EziogreatNaruto: I don't really think that the chapter are really shorter. I generally try to have the same amount of words in each chapter. For the title, it's from Sakura's perspective, Naruto being in love since the first time he saw her. Thank you very much for your support!_

 _EdkingV: I found it funny to have her father being overprotective. For Sakura ex, you could guess that he will not like much the idea... Thank you!_

 _Troa95: if it can make you happy, after reading your review I began to write the chapter 2 of the third story. I have less time than before so it will take some time to have it finished. As soon as it done, I will show it to you. You will be my special reader for it, after all nobody else except you was interested to read it. Thank you so much for your kind words!_

 _Lolitas Fernandes: Obrigada! Thank you very much for your message. It doesn't matter if you write in english or portuguese, I can read a little portuguese and otherwise I would use google translation. Your opinion is really important to me. Thank you to have share it with me!_

 **CHAP 24**

A little before twelve, Naruto entered the big white building of the hospital and walked casually to the nursing office. The nurse on duty fawned in front of the handsome Hokage. Her biggest fantasy was standing just in front of her and she couldn't form any words in her mind to answer his simple question. The blond man smiled apologetically and bended to have a look at the planner on the wall behind her. Rapidly his eyes found the familiar name of his favorite medic and he thanked the nurse for her help. The nurse melted under his smile gawking at him like a lovestruck teenager and he left without noticing the hungry look she gave him.

Naruto waited in front of surgery room 1, the signal indicating that the operation was still ongoing. Two nurses passed by giggling giving discreet glance at their young hot Hokage who was leaning against the wall reading some scroll. One of the nurses continued to stare at him even after they passed him and she clumsily run into someone else who was leaving his lab with some boxes blocking his view.

The crashing sound attracted Naruto's attention and he came naturally to help the people who were sprawled out on the floor with the boxes scattered all around. The young Hokage extended his hand and he received the darkest glare ever as the man on the floor turned his head around.

"No thanks Hokage-sama!" Hikaru spitted with enough venom to make Orochimaru jealous.

Naruto stayed speechless, recognizing the man's face. The nurse nearby didn't hesitated to latch on the blond's arm, thanking him warmly. Naruto helped her up and the man took his leave without a glance at the Hokage. It was clear to Naruto that the man despised him.

The blond man returned to his previous spot and continued to read the scroll that held the subject of his afternoon meeting. Sakura came out of the surgery room just few minutes after. She didn't expect him to be here. Was she late?

"Naruto! Sorry! Did you wait long?" She cleaned the blood on her face hastily with her already blood stained lab coat sleeve.

"A difficult surgery?" asked the blond, joining her at the door.

The head medic took off her garment and gave it to her assistant. "Not that particularly difficult. I was supposed to supervise a new intern and she messed up. I had to intervene because she had punctured the aorta with her chakra scalpel and now I look more like a butcher than a medic." Sakura explained to him. She noticed the glance that the medical team was giving to their Hokage and decided to cut short the exhibition. "Come with me! We can do your check-up in my office."

Naruto followed her, sagely keeping his hand in his pocket to not have them wander in inappropriate places in front of potential witnesses. He had to play the 'friend' if he didn't want to get on her bad side.

Sakura demanded her assistant to not bother them for now as she was busy with a private consultation. The Hokage hoped that she would kiss him once the door was closed, but the medic went directly to business. The pinkette took a folder with Naruto's medical record and scribbled some notes on it.

"Can you sit? You're too tall for me to properly make my diagnosis if you stay standing up" Sakura told him without taking her eyes off her notes.

The blond sulked to have so little romantic interaction with her. "I thought that we were supposed to go have lunch together, the check up being an excuse" he complained.

She lit up a small light and observed his pupil reaction. _All good_.

"Nope, the check up was the purpose of your visit. The lunch was just a trap to not make you skip it" Sakura commented as she marked the result on the paper.

Naruto took her free hand to put it on his heart. "Could you check my heart? I think I've got a heart stroke" he joked to attract her attention.

His sultry voice, the longing desire in his eyes, and she punched him out of nowhere, victim of her self-defense mechanism. Naruto was always able to surprise her and make her lose her balance. But she admitted that it was a cruel bad habit that she needed to work on. The Hokage fell from his chair at the impact and Sakura knelt in front of him to heal his cheek before kissing it. He gave her a bright smile and tentatively asked: "Can you punch me on the lips too, if it mean I can have a kiss on it?"

 _This man!_ He was always pushing all her button at the same time. Sakura clenched her fist and he closed his eyes to prepare for the painful impact. Instead of being hurt, Naruto felt the soft and delightful sensation of her velvet lips on his mouth. He would have loved to have more, to deepen their contact. But the medic pulled away, a light hue covering on her face.

"So let me finish my check up now..." Sakura demanded gently.

A goofy smile blossomed on his face. She could have asked him anything, and he would have gladly complied with any of her wishes.

When Sakura finished with his medical check up, she turned toward him. "Your chakra system has recovered quite well. It seems you will soon connect with Kurama's chakra again. The damage in your stomach has begun to heal and there is very few traces of the infection left." She announced happily.

The blond looked like he didn't have a care for the diagnosis, feeling himself sufficiently healed to not need to be checked at the hospital.

"Can we go eat now Sakura-chan?" Naruto whined. He had expected his visit to be full of fluffy moments or maybe even naughty ones when she had asked to not be bothered, but it had turned out to just be a proper medical consultation.

The head-medic smiled at him sweetly. "Don't worry Naruto! I won't let my Hokage go back to work on an empty stomach. You need a good meal to restore your health."

They left her office and walked together to the exit. Some people leered at them, some with hush-hush, some with an evident attraction for the Hokage...the last one being the people most annoying to Sakura. It was irritating how much Naruto attracted the attention of everyone wherever he went and she knew that it wasn't due to his Hokage robe only. Power has always had a seducing aspect, but it was the global feeling around him, his overwhelming kindness, the integrity that transpired from him, and without doubt his stupidly incredible smile. The air around him was simply different. He was able to turn around any foe to friend. Without realizing, he was able to bring light into the most closed heart, just by being his caring self. Passing in front of the nursing office, the pinkette gave a glacial stare at the nurse in charge of the admission for the day to prevent her from drool openly at the Hokage.

The couple went to eat in a small restaurant near the hospital. The place was a little like the canteen for all the hospital staff and for some visitors. The owner welcomed the head medic and the Hokage warmly, before guiding them to Sakura's favorite table. The man put down the menu in front of them and Sakura told him without opening it, "The usual!"

Naruto asked for the same, not wanting to waste time with futility. It wasn't a ramen restaurant, so whatever he got would be just fine. The blond preferred spending his time with his favorite person. The owner took their order and left them alone. The man chuckled to himself, at the expression on the Hokage's face. Their leader had good taste. The head medic always recieved a lot of attention from the male customers every time she came to eat here.

Naruto leaned over the table, approaching Sakura to whisper. "Would you like to come to my place tonight?"

Sakura glanced at his expectant face and sighed to have to refuse him again. "I am sorry, I have a surgery scheduled late. I won't have much free time for now."

The Hokage sat back properly and his eyes lost some of his joyous spark. His eyes drifted to look at the floor.

"I have to leave in four days for a diplomatic mission in the rain country. I hoped to see you a little before that... but I understand. I will see you when I come back" Naruto murmured a little dejected.

The pinkette bit her bottom lips. He was busier than her, but he was ready to arrange his schedule to make some time to see her.

"I will come Friday!" Sakura assured him. She would just have to work a bit more when he would be away. Blue eyes locked with her, a smile stretching on his lips. _This is how Naruto should be, smiling_.

The owner brought them their plate and Naruto sighed at the contents. The young Hokage made a mental note to look at the menu the next time. It wasn't that he was against vegetables, but there wasn't even a slice of meat in the whole dish. Maybe he could send a genin to send him a ramen bowl from Ichiraku this afternoon after his meeting as his secretary was on leave.

A group of four women entered the small restaurant and spotted the handsome Hokage. They directly went for his table to greet him. Sakura lifted an angry eyebrow at their audacity to interrupt their lunch. Naruto amiably responded to them. He was always like that, so kind to everyone. Always befriending anyone who wanted to be his friend, certainly a habit coming from his lonely past. The pinkette recognized the women as relatives visiting some of her patients. _Those old hags_. The women giggled stupidly at all of his actions and Naruto was blind, ignoring completely the power of his charm. Sakura fumed. _They certainly think that the Hokage is just having a business lunch with the Head medic or his 'former teammate'._

One woman dared to put her hand on his shoulder to praise him on the change he made for the village. Naruto smiled at the compliment, happy that his work was helpful to his people. The village was maybe his family, but he was hers only. Sakura's hands moved forward and grabbed his hand making his head snap toward her, all his attention only on her.

"Do you like your food?" Sakura inquired sweetly and his head nodded vigorously, too eager to please her.

The women stared at the scene and at their joined hands. The ring on the medic's finger and the possessive gesture screamed out loud of their relationship status. Sakura glanced at the women and the old hags excused themselves to let them enjoy their food. The pinkette kept her hand on his until the women were securely seated at their table at the other side of the restaurant. Naruto looked confused at his fiancé and their joined hands.

"Sakura-chan...hm...Don't you think that people could imagine us being together if you keep your hand here?" The blond suggested in case she didn't realize her gesture.

Jade eyes pierced him incisively. "Is that a problem with you? Aren't we engaged?" Sakura questioned back.

He would never understand the functioning of the women mind. "But... I thought that you wanted to keep it a secret..."

Naruto was lost in her logic. His big blue eyes unsure of what to do searched for an answer and his fiancé smiled at him. He was much too coveted to let him run free. It was time to stop all those shabby women from messing with him.

"You can tell it to whoever you want" Sakura allowed him.

A smile blossomed on his face. "Really?" he asked, overjoyed and she nodded while giggling at his contagious happiness. Naruto abruptly stood up and with his loud voice began: "MINA! We're gonna..."

A hook made him fly to the ceiling and he fell down on the floor. Sakura grabbed him by the collar and put him back on his chair.

Everybody in the restaurant stopped to look at the scene. There was only one person who could defy their Hokage so openly and it was the head medic. They have all heard of the monstrous strength of the sweet and feminine woman, but seeing it with their own eyes was something else. It was even more shocking as the head medic was known for her gentle demeanor with her patients. The rumor of her colossal power forgotten in the illusion of her petite figure. They saw the Hokage sit up unfazed by the punch and get back into a normal conversation with the head medic. After a few seconds everyone lost interest in the two. It was only one of the usual quarrels between the two former teammates.

Naruto rubbed his jaw with a pout on his lips. "Can't you do things normally? You are the Hokage! The Hokage! You can't just yell it on all of Konoha's rooftops" Sakura lectured him in hushed tone.

He couldn't understand women and Sakura the least. "I was just so happy that I wanted to share it with everyone" the blond justified himself.

Sakura tried to muster her best scolding frown, but broke the expression in a smile. "Let's begin with our closest friends and the council to prepare the wedding... Hokage-Sama."

She extended her hand to heal his face and Naruto pressed her hand against his skin, relishing in the contact of her palm. The four older women squealed at the sight. _It was true! The Hokage and the Head Medic were together!_

XXXXX

After the lunch Shikamaru came back to the Hokage office and found a beaming Naruto. The strategist gave the blond his report and commented at the same time.

"Let me guess, something good happened with your girlfriend?"

Naruto showed his thumbs-up, his smile going from ear to ear . "Sakura-chan told me I can begin to tell people and we can begin preparations for the wedding!" he chuckled joyously.

The Nara heir sighed in despair. "You're troublesome! You can't imagine how many problems would begin from now on!" Shikamaru complained but patted amiably the blond shoulder, "but it's nice to see you that happy, you deserve it...Congratulations Naruto!"

The Hokage thanked him and took hold of the necessary scrolls for the meeting. "Don't worry Shikamaru. I will work hard to compensate for all the trouble of my wedding!" Naruto promised, walking out the door. The strategist followed him, mumbling to himself 'troublesome idiot'.

Naruto encountered a genin in the corridor and stopped the kid. "hey, go bring me a Ramen from Ichiraku. Just say to the old man that it's for me, he will put it on my tab." He asked the kid.

Shikamaru frowned at the blond. "Ninja are not supposed to be your personal delivery service" reminded him the strategist.

Naruto shrugged, "I can't work on a empty stomach. No ramen! No work!"

Shikamaru studied him one second before retorting. "Weren't you just at a lunch break? Don't tell me you skipped the lunch to do some other stuff. That's could explain why you dismissed your ANBU guard."

Naruto blushed at the insinuation. "NO! You're more perverted than me! I just ate with Sakura-chan... Vegetables are good, but Ramen is just necessary!"

XXXXX

Later this afternoon, Sakura was completing a report in her office when the door slammed open in a loud bang. The pinkette looked surprised at the breathless Ino. The blond woman narrowed her eyes angrily at the sight of her best friend and shut the door closed in a kick. Sakura was ready to scold the blond kunoichi for her inappropriate conduct inside the hospital but Ino cut her short, her temper flaming dark and dangerous like a powerful amaterasu.

"How dare you Forehead?! How dare you hide that you were dating Naruto?" Ino yelled, her palm hitting flat the desk and making a pile of reports fall on the floor from the impact. Sakura flinched. She should have guessed that news traveled fast in Konoha and Ino wasn't known as the Gossip Queen for nothing.

The pinkette extended her hand in a halt sign to stop the blond hurricane who was ravaging her office. "Listen! It's all new... I just didn't have the time..." the medic tried to explain but the furious blond got hold of her collar, eyes shining from sheathed tears.

"Don't lie! I heard that you two were engaged" the sexy blond hissed. "I told you immediately when I began to date Sai and you? You don't have enough confidence in me to let me know of you dating Naruto and getting engaged... I thought we were friends." Ino released her friend and let her fall back in her chair.

Sakura tried again to explain. "Ino, please! Listen to me! I swear! It was just so sudden...and with my duty at the hospital, I didn't have one minute to come and talk about it".

Ino fumed. "Liar!" she screamed, enraged. She usually wasn't the type to use her jutsu against her friends. But if Sakura refused to tell her the truth she would find it by herself. "Mind transfer jutsu!"

She entered the pinkette's memory and began to search hastily for the information. Sakura was a strong minded person and would break the jutsu rapidly. Ino passed quickly on the last few months of memory, nothing seeming out of the ordinary. The pinkette was such a boring person. Her daily life revolved around the hospital with a cycling rhythm that she wondered if she wasn't replaying the same memory over and over. Operations, patients, report, Naruto smiling in his office accepting the report, inventory, operations.

The blond jumped to more recent memory and it was the same routine again. She gasped at the last few days and slowed the vision to have a better glimpse of it. _Woah! Naruto is hot naked!_ She nearly got a nosebleed at the next memory she opened. Their Hokage wasn't called the unpredictable ninja for nothing, just seeing the image of their love-making managed to arouse her. Ino had though that Sai was a good lover, but Naruto must have learned a thing or two from his infamous teacher, the gallant Jiraya. She heard Naruto's spontaneous proposal and Sakura accepting it without thinking. Ino thought for herself, after discovering such a sex genius, she would have been the one to propose if she had been in Sakura's place. She tried to pass to another memory, but got pulled out of Sakura's mind.

The pinkette breathed hard, regaining her senses. Ino had immensely improved in her skill of mental extraction and had been a difficult opponent to expel.

"Ino Pig!" Sakura grunted cracking her knuckle, her face bloody red from anger and embarrassment.

Ino sat innocently on the desk not at all impressed by the menacing aura around Sakura. "You told me the truth" the blond conceded and flipped over her shoulder her long ponytail with a smirk. "You win! I am jealous!" Ino simply declared deflating the pinkette's anger.

Incomprehension was written in capital on Sakura's forehead. "Congratulations Lucky girl! I suppose I am your maid of honor!"Ino announced.

 **I hope you will like the chapter. Review please!**


	25. Chapter 25

**CHAPTER CORRECTED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF WALKEROFDARNESS (BIG THANKS!)**

 _burt: thank you!_

 _TheReader234: thank you so much to have detailled what you loved! Thank you!_

 _Danny Ketchum: I am sorry I will not have the courage to rewrite the story, there is a little drama in between fluffy and loving moments. Hope you will like it. Thank you to keep sharing your thoughts_

 _Ultranx: thank you!_

 _AquaRules:I love Ino, she really have such a great charactere. She is able to put you down with a smile and love you while calling you with a dirty nickname (maybe that's how she ended up with Sai, the same love for uncharacteristic nickname). Thank you so much!_

 _Troa95: Naruto is always so cheesy from the very beginning of the serie (he is always having those cute words for Sakura), I found him so damn cute! And Sakura is such a possessive woman, and Ino, I just LOVE Ino... she is so funny to write. Thank you so much! I hope I didn't make you wait too long._

 _LegendaryWriterS: thank you!_

 _Dieinhappiness: thank you!_

 _Crazyprankster1991: don't worry, more their relationship will build up and more greedy they will become. ;) thank you!_

 **CHAP 25**

Shikamaru sighed upon entering the Hokage's office; the blond was dead asleep on his desk. The advisor walked to the blond and glanced down at the sight. Naruto was surrounded by a mess of paperwork, face flat on the last scroll he was reading, a pen still in his hand. The Nara had to admit that the blond man had quite the stamina; Naruto had been working continuously for three days to get caught up. The strategist could easily agree that the work had piled up in the Hokage absence and the upcoming diplomatic mission made his agenda more dense. However, stamina or not, the idiot had to take care of his health. Shikamaru heard Naruto mumble "Miso Ramen" and he shook the blond's shoulder. Bleary blue eyes blinked at the bright day-light and he jumped at the realization.

He looked sheepishly at his advisor and the dark haired man crossed his arm over his chest with a disapproving look. "Am I late for a meeting?" Naruto asked, unsure about his friend's angry expression.

"Don't overdo it Naruto! Don't you have a girlfriend to go back to sometime?" Shikamaru lectured.

Naruto stretched his arms over his head and smiled thinking that tonight was the night Sakura was coming at his place. "I just wanted to finish the first draft for the exchange project before we leave tomorrow," Naruto confessed, withholding the fact that he had every intention of leaving on time tonight.

Shikamaru patted his back reading through him. "You see her tonight, don't you?" The Hokage gave him a clumsy smile to be so easily found out. "Go and clean your face, you have to do something about your cheek." Shikamaru sighed as he exited the office. _Guess I'll get him some coffee._ They're both going to need it.

The Hokage ran a hand on his cheek and felt the ink on his fingers. Naruto looked down at the scroll on his desk and shrieked realizing that the text was all blurry at the place where his face was. _Great, now I have more to do._

XXXXX

Sakura finished her last report and abandoned her lab coat on her chair. She wanted to do some shopping before heading to Naruto house. She had planned to cook a small dinner for them to show him how much she cared for him. The pinkette entered the grocery shop and received more glances than usual. The constant hush-hush behind her reminded her of the buzz of an annoying fly.

Talking about insect, the Aburame heir came to offer congratulation for her engagement with Naruto. The head medic jumped from surprise at the sound of his monotonous voice and Shino seemed displeased that she didn't notice his presence beforehand. Sakura tried to apologize, but the man just left sulking. Thanks to him at least she understood the general situation around her. The word of her engagement had already spread like fire on dry bushes. That could explain as well the cold shoulders that she received from some of the female staff at the hospital.

Naruto was putting on his pants when the door bell rang. He ran down the stairs, uncaring about his condition. The smile shining on his face was heart warming.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto chanted a brillant smile on his face and his exhaustion of the day vanished at the sight of the woman he love.

Sakura blushed and couldn't tear away her eyes from him. Naruto was shirtless and some naughty drops of water falling from his wet hair were running on his perfect skin. She wondered if it was ok for her to lick those drops... Her attention got diverted when he took out of her arms her package offering to carry the bag to the kitchen. She followed him inside and her eyes got glued at his back. He was wearing a low-slung baggy pants that was falling low on his hips and she just wanted one thing at that second, pull them down.

Naruto abandoned the package in the kitchen and turned to her. Part of him wanted to hold her tight, to make love with her here and now. He had thought millions of time in the last few days of her and couldn't stop his excitement at the idea of touching her. But the other part of him didn't want that Sakura thought he was with her just for a carnal relationship. He plastered a grin on his face and lifted his hands behind his head to avoid them to touching her inappropriately.

"Want to drink something or rest a little on the couch?" Naruto offered politely.

The way his arm's muscles contracted and how the fine line of his torso got enhanced with his innocent gesture made her shudder. _Was it considered a rape if she attacked her own fiancé?_ She gulped **.**

"We can sit on the couch," she replied in a feigned calmness.

They sat together on the cushion in an awkward silence, both of them not knowing what to talk about. It never have been like that between them, they always had been able to talk freely about everything. Sakura tried to dispel the fog of lust in her head and cleared her throat to inquire about his job. The Hokage laughed clumsily not wanting to admit that he had to over-stay for being too slow to do his work properly.

"I had quite my share of work, stuff that I have to finish before leaving," the young Hokage told her casually.

She studied his face and noticed the dark circle under his eyes. _Did the infection had break again?_ "How is your health?" Sakura questioned, leaning toward him to touch his forehead to check his temperature.

"I-I am fine," the blond mumbled as his restraint slipped out of reach at her soft touch. Unconsciously he moved forward and went to claim her pink lips that he couldn't stop staring at. This was exactly what he wanted and in a split second the kiss turned ravenous.

Since the first kiss they had exchanged, a mysterious all-mighty magnetism worked around them. It was like they couldn't get away from each other. They couldn't have enough, never enough. Hands searched, prodded, caressed. Mouth on mouth, tongues fighting in a battle as if life itself depended on it. They pulled the unnerving material of their clothing with urgency, their body meeting again to entangled themselves in a mess of flesh and limbs. Moans escaped their throats as excitement built up in their veins. There was a form of ferocity in their encounter, an animal instinct driven by their attraction.

They ended up on the floor thoroughly spent. Sakura was lying on him, her body limp resting on his chest still straddling him. The fast beating of his heart was another proof of the intensity of their activity. Naruto laughed between puff of air, his eyes closed to the world, amazed by the magnitude of his orgasm. He never had anything close to that in the million of time he pleasured himself alone. The pinkette lifted her head curious to look at her lover. She smiled at his contagious elated expression. She could have stared at him indefinitely, but she felt self-conscious when he opened his eyes. Sakura disengaged herself from his half-hard shaft and grabbed the cover on the couch to roll it around her naked form.

The blond propped his head with his hand. "You do realize that I already saw you naked..."

She glanced at him trying to save whatever left of her pride. "True...but it's not a reason to have no modesty," she replied as she tightened the material around her.

"I don't mind if you want to look." Naruto teased her with a seductive smile, not trying the least to cover himself.

 _This man had absolutely no modesty_. Her eyes unconsciously roamed over his handsome feature and stopped a second on his half-hard member. Even not completely full, it was still a substantial size. _He sure don't have to be ashamed of anything._ He caught her staring and his smile turned predatory. Sakura blushed and lifted her nose haughtily.

"I'm going to the shower," she informed him.

"Can I come?" Naruto asked teasingly as she walked away with a laugh and a shake of her head. **  
**

When she came back all refreshed, Sakura found him asleep on the couch just in his underwear. She covered him with the blanket and let him rest while she prepared the diner. The blond woke up an hour later to a delicious smell. He noticed the cover on him and smiled tenderly at the sweet attention. He walked discreetly behind her and encircled her waist with his arms. Naruto landed fleeting kisses on her neck rapidly before she decided to scold him.

"Naruto! Not now, I don't want to burn our diner."

He gave her a last kiss on the cheek and rested his head on her shoulder looking at the content of the pot. "It smells good and it looks good...that really makes me hungry."

She ruffled his hair. "It will be ready soon...you can go for your shower and I'll have it on the table."

He kissed her cheek in thanks. He stepped aside and spotted a cup of tea. "Can I have some of it?" Naruto asked while bringing the cup to his lips.

She snatched it away. "Not this one! I will prepare you a tea if you want!"

He pouted. "Why? Can't we share the cup?" he whined.

"We will share the next one...is that ok?" Sakura said to soothe his curiosity but he didn't let go.

"What's wrong with this one?" the blond cornered her to tell him the mystery behind this cup.

"It's a medicine!"Sakura squealed as she looked at the ground.

The blond looked at her worriedly. "Are you sick Sakura-chan? Did I gave you my virus?"

She felt her face warm up by the second. "I am fine...it is to prevent pregnancy,"she admitted.

He made the connection in his head "Oh!"

Sakura observed him from the side as Naruto seemed lost in his thought for a few seconds, having some strange mechanism in his brain turning around.

He finally glanced at her shyly. "I am not against having a family with you, you know..."

She passed from different tint of red in a blink of an eye. "We-we sho-ould wait!" Sakura managed to utter with difficulty, her brain in a global breakdown.

The blond scratched his hair and nodded before leaving with a tinge of repressed disappointment in his demeanor. Her eyes followed his retreating figure, Sakura pinched her lips in a thin line. She didn't like to let him down but it was too early in their relationship to already think about having kids. Naruto was sometimes too impatient.

By the time her fiancé was done, the diner was ready and set at the table. The pinkette prepared a tea for Naruto and served his plate before calling him. The young man ran down the stairs dressed up but with his hair still wet the towel forgotten on his shoulder. He sat at his place and thanked her for the dinner, grinning like he had win some lottery ticket.

Sakura frowned and stood up to dry his hair. The towel covered his head and she brushed the material to collect all the dampness. "You should be careful...your immune system don't have fully recovered yet," she lectured him.

His hands came to cover hers and Naruto squeezed them tenderly. "Don't worry..." he reassured her.

"I don't want to see you sick...ever!" Her voice trembled remembering her pain when Shikamaru had brought him in the hospital. His hands more firmly grabbed hers and Naruto flipped her over to make her land on his laps. The young woman shrieked in surprise. "Baka!" she called him in a fake reprimand

He hugged her, kissing the mark on her forehead. "But I am your baka!" the blond playfully teased her.

Sakura ended up eating sitting on his lap as her fiancé refused to let her go. The dinner turned in a joyous love-game: Naruto feeding her and opening his mouth wide for her to feed him in return. More than once he voluntarily missed her to lick the corner of her lips to clean the stain. At some point the food got completely forgotten as the kiss turned too ardent. He lifted her up in his arms not breaking the contact one second and carried her up to his room. Their clothes flew all over the place and the night burned of inextinguishable passion.


	26. Chapter 26

**CHAPTER CORRECTED THANKS TO BATTLE MAGE ABK**

 _ultranx: thank you! Narusaku forever ;)_

 _LaDdraig: I am so happy to make you happy§ I hope you will continue to like it!_

 _Blaze01245:Thank you to share with me your thoughts, I hope you will continue to like the chapters_

 _BAMABOY71:thank you_

 _Dieinhappiness:If there is other kid than Shinashiku, will it still be ok with you? thank you_

 _Guest:thank you! please continu to give me your thoughts for the chapter_

 _Guest: take the time to appreciate what happen before the wedding ;) thank you!_

 _TheReader234:Shino is often forgotten, I like to give him some space to sulk around. thank you!_

 _EdkingV: I hope that this chapter have brought you some drama to enjoy it (just a bit I know, maybe not enough). I hope you will continue to like the story_

 _NighWendigo:Thank you! Naruto is like a box of good chocolate, more you eat and more you want ;)_

 _nakhodchivost: Each review are important as each person who review it. Can you imagine that I wait expectantly for each one of them? When someone stop reviewing, I wonder (Did he/she stop reading it? Why did I lost this person?). A review is a proof that the person is still following my story and the content is the answer that only my reader can give me to my questions: was it good? bad? what did they like? dislike? Did I manage to make them laugh? cry?. The reviews are my reward for my hard work, the reviews are the most important things to me, they are my connection to my readers._

 _Lunesme: Don't worry this story is full of lemon, but I need sometime to have some story in between ;) thank you_

 _PinKrystal: Thank you very much! Narusaku forever! The last movie have broke my heart, mostly the Sakura stupid comment on Naruto's love being for a stupid rivalry with sasuke. grrr! For god sake, the man have sacrificed himself since the beginning. It can't be otherwise than Narusaku to me. they're too perfect for each other. About this story, there will be more lemon coming!_

 _Troa95: wouldn't you be a pervert if you had a man like Naruto under your nose? Blame me, but I am also a perv ;) The shower will come too, at each pleasure its time XD. Thank you so so so much for your support since the beginning and so regularily for all my writing... I continue to work on the third story, I think I will take the second choice ;) the first chapter is on going to be corrected, so I will publish it soon._

 _acedojuan837: thank you!keep reviewing please!_

 _Naru285: Ino is so funny, she have no limit. I think Sakura would have murdered her if she hadn't be so surprise by her comment about confessing being "jealous of her"_

 _Aquarules: Care is not only through words, it show through all small action and attention (like preparing him a basket of food pill when he was training to change his chakra nature. thank you!_

 _guest: I agree that Sakura is violent and punch naruto everytime he does something stupid. In fact throught the serie from what I have observed, their is three main reason for her to punch him. At the beginning, she punched him because she found him annoying or his was doing something stupid. After she stop finding him annoying and punched him because he was doing stupid, perverted or put himself in danger. And It show at some moment and more and more at the end, she punched him in response to an emotional reaction (everytime she's troubled by him) exemple when she wake up in his arms and he somehow look handsome, when he tell his father that she's his girlfriend (she didn't deny it... I always found this fact funny)... So in my story, Sakura punch Naruto not really out of nowhere but mostly out of an emotional reaction. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me, I hope, I explained my logic correctly. I hope you will continu to like my work. Don't hesitate to give your opinion, it's really important to me. Thank you!_

 _DanteAzel:Thank you! It's funny that you talk about that mix of naruto chakra with Sakura control, I was writing something similar in my next fic._

 _Tip's:thank you! A typical father reaction to me. My father closed the door in front of my brother-in-law when he came to ask for my sister's hand... I hope you will continue to like the story._

 **CHAP 26**

Sakura sighed for what seemed to be the nth time today looking at her calendar. That was ten days, ten interminable days without Naruto. She scribed some word on her medical report and sighed again. She couldn't stop thinking of him. She missed him so much that it was insane. She had spent her whole life with him as a constant presence through the good and the bad, she had been used to them going on different paths for their training or their missions, but now just ten days seemed like a life-time.

Her eyes read the hour again, 6:20 pm, only five minute had passed since the last time she had checked. Time was being too cruel with her. Sakura banged her head against her desk. She had to get a grip on herself. Work!Work!Work! It was the last fortress to preserve her sanity. She finished her report and closed it, leaving it to the side to drop it later at the Hokage's office. The head medic could have asked an intern to deliver it, but she had made a rule to personally bring it herself since the time Naruto was still just in training to have a glimpse of him. Her assistant came in to give her the listing of surgeries and she scheduled them in order of urgency before returning it to let her make the preparation for it.

Sakura studied a patient case who was having a chronicle disease when she heard a knock on the door. Without lifting her nose from her reading, she invited her assistant to enter and extended her hand to receive the next list of tasks. Sakura heard a very familiar male chuckle and her head snapped up. He was here, a smile on his face, leaning casually on the door-frame.

"I though you would be more happy to see me." the blond man teased her closing the door behind him.

Sakura jumped over her desk and ran to him. Naruto opened wide his arms to welcome her in a tight embrace. She pressed her body against him as to satisfy with every inch of herself that he was indeed here.

"Naruto!" She whispered bursting with joy and squeezed him a little more.

"I missed you!" The blond told her kissing gently her hair.

She released him to have a better look at him. "I though you wouldn't be back for one or two days more."

Naruto chuckled. "I missed you so much that I shortened my stay in the land of rain. I even left the group to come here directly. Shikamaru must be cursing me right now to have left him to deal with the old geezers without me." He caressed her face. "Do you want to have a dinner somewhere? You can choose the place..." He scratched his cheek shyly. "Or would you like to eat at home with me?"

The young Hokage leaned over her temptingly close to her lips and claimed them the next instant. It was heaven! Being together like that... He would have certainly continued further if they didn't get interrupted by a stupid ANBU arriving through the window. Naruto growled angrily and Sakura hid her face behind his shoulder embarrassed.

"If there isn't a war at stake, you can go tell the old geezers to go nag Shikamaru... I am off tonight."

The ANBU bowed respectfully. "Sorry Lord Seventh, Shikamaru-dono sent me here to inform you that you have to come immediately to the Hokage tower. A VIP is waiting for you and refuses to deal with anyone but you personally."

Naruto sighed. _Duty! Duty! Duty! Damn job! Why did he ever wish to become Hokage?_

"Sorry Sakura-chan, I have to go... do you want to wait for me at home? I will try to wrap that up fast. Promise, 'ttebayo!"

The blond pulled his key out of his pocket to lend them to his fiancée. She shook her head refusing, "I have to bring my medical report at your office... I can maybe wait for you."

The young Hokage smiled glad to not have to get separated from her for a even little while more. Every minute with her was like a precious gift to him. Naruto intertwined his fingers with hers and signaled to the ANBU to leave first.

They walked hand in hand in the Konoha streets, raising on their passage a commotion of gossip. Everyone was interested to witness the new infamous couple, some were crying over the loss of the two much coveted single people of the village, some were overjoyed to finally have an happy ending love story for their heroes. Some old woman was commenting to her friend on how she remembered their Hokage following the Head medic everywhere when those two were kids, the other one adding how she had always been sure that they would end up together, on how there was no other way around, that it was meant to happen. Some were simply incredulous that the most infamous teammates of Konoha turned their eternal friendship bond into something else. However, as the couple passed by, the sight of the handsome man talking, eyes only on the beautiful Head medic, and her giggling at something he said, was screaming the evidence that they were indeed a match made in heaven.

XXXXX

Naruto released Sakura's hand when he arrived in front of his office. "Please wait for me inside, I'll try to not be long. I'll come back as soon as possible. I suppose the guest is in the meeting room." He opened the door for her to enter and spotted an angry looking priestess and an annoyed Shikamaru.

"Hey Shion! How are you doing? Long time no see!" Naruto warmly greeted her quite oblivious to the tension in the room.

Shion advanced toward him and slapped him with all her strength. The Hokage hardly felt anything close to pain, his face didn't move a bit. But it was still shocking to be slapped like that out of the blue. Sakura didn't like her behavior at all, as evident when her jaw clenched to restrain her mouth to intervene in an international politic affair.

Shion screamed furious. "How dare you? How dare you get engaged?"

Naruto got confused. _What about his relationship with Sakura was a problem?_ "What's wrong with it?" He innocently wondered.

Sakura didn't like at all the turn of events, a bad feeling settling slowly in the back of her mind.

"We had an agreement! Don't you remember your promise?" pointed the blond woman.

Sakura remembered clearly their mission in the land of Demons few years ago and how it ended. The story had been closed and long forgotten after that. _This priestess wouldn't dare have come here to ask him to honor 'that promise' when we just got engaged and with his fiancée nearby none the less. She would not..._ Sakura clenched her fist, anger boiling steadily in her veins.

Naruto stood unmoving in apparent search for an indication of what could have upset the priestess. "What's the problem?" he inquired clueless not finding any flaw.

Shion began to pound on his chest with her small fists, tears rolling down her pale face. "You liar! You broke your promise! Liar! Liar! Liar!"

Naruto took hold of her fists not liking very much being called a 'liar'. He never had broken a promise, it was his Ninja way. "Oi! Wait a minute! What are you talking about? I'm not a liar!"

The Hokage let go of her wrists and the blond woman gazed at him hopeful. "You promise me to help me transmit my power to the next generation."

Naruto looked at her quizzically. Why had she been so furious? There was really no reason to get angry because he got engaged. His love life won't stop him to do his duty or help his friends.

"Yeah, no problem...I will help you..." He said unknowing of the meaning of his words.

Sakura jumped in between them and slapped him powerfully from side to side making his head go from right to left. "Shut up you idiot! Don't you realize what you're saying? Think before talking!" The pinkette yelled at him.

His head was still dizzy from the previous shocks and he was bewildered by Sakura's reaction, not understanding the least bit her anger. "Whoa! Calm down Sakura-chan! What's wrong with helping a friend?"

His fiancée sent him a death glare. "How can you accept to father a child with her?" Sakura spat venomously at him.

Naruto laughed wholeheartedly. "You're ridiculous Sakura-chan! Really? Where did you find such a grotesque idea? She just want me to protect her!"

Sakura jaw dropped to the floor amazed by his level of stupidity. _Naruto is the biggest idiot of all time_ , she noted to herself.

Shion realized at that moment why Naruto never replied to her feelings. He never had understood them in the first place. It was time to make things clear and obvious.

"I want to have my children with you!" The priestess declared matter-of-factly.

Now it was Naruto's turn to have his jaw dropping down. Sakura stood tall in front of him in a protective gesture, glaring dagger at the blond woman. International politics or not, Naruto was hers only and she didn't plan to share him with anyone. Shion glanced towards the pinkette, she vaguely remembered her. The girl was with the ninja team, some kind of medic or something. The priestess didn't like her at all.

"I think it won't be possible," Sakura refused bluntly.

Electricity emerged between the two women, tension growing menacingly around them. "Move away! That has nothing to do with you! It's between Naruto and I," Shion ordered haughtily.

Sakura lift up her hand showing of the ring at her finger. "I think I'm concerned with anything involving Naruto's private life"

The violet eyes passed from the ring to Sakura's face, anger reaching a peak at having in front of her the woman who stole the man she loved. "It doesn't matter! He promised me first!" The priestess proclaimed disdainfully to the pinkette.

Sakura's fists clenched and Naruto snapped out of his stupor with the dangerous body language of his fiancée. Naruto pulled Sakura behind him and tried to solve the situation.

"It's all a big misunderstanding! I thought that you just wanted protection from me."

Sakura grabbed his collar and began to shake him violently. "How can you be that stupid and not understand what she was saying? Idiot!"

Naruto truly looked confused. "How could I have guessed? She had called me an 'Idiot' the whole mission. I just thought that as we came back alive, she was happy with my bodyguard duty..." He justified himself to his fiancée.

Sakura looked dumbfounded at him. She corrected herself mentally: _Naruto is the biggest idiot and the most naïve guy in the world._

Shion cut short their private lover-quarrel. "She calls you 'idiot' as well and you got engaged to her... Why not me?" She had been waiting for him all those years thinking that they were too young at that time, waiting for him to come back to her and fulfill his promise. "You promised me to help me pass my power to the next generation." She refused to let him go to anyone else.

Naruto blocked Sakura's path to avoid her to go and strangle the Priestess. He chuckled embarrassed at his mistake. He needed to find a solution and fast. An angry Sakura was a dangerous Sakura.

"Hey! What if I help find a suitable man to father your children?" He offered optimist to have suggested a good idea.

The blond woman put her hand on her hips and declared : "I love you! I want no one else but you!"

As much as being confessed was always flattering, at that precise moment, it turned out to be more of a problem than anything else. The temperature in the room dropped a few degrees more and Naruto wondered inwardly if Sakura didn't learn a new jutsu related to ice.

The situation kept turning more and more of a mess. Naruto looked at his advisor with despair to a non-verbal plea for help. Shikamaru mouthed a silent 'Troublesome women'. It was out of his ability. The strategist could plan the battle strategy of any mission, think hundred times in advance every enemies move. But Women were really the subject he couldn't help his Hokage with.

Naruto winced reading the lips of his friend. He was alone in this mess. His eyes searched all around for an idea: escaping from the window, knocking out Shion to send her back in her country, lying in telling her he was sterile...His eyes landed on the pinkette nearby him. He choose honesty.

"I love Sakura-chan," Naruto simply admitted.

Jade eyes lifted up and met loving cerulean blue ones. Her anger flew away like a scared bird. His gaze turned apologetic as he looked at the priestess. "I am sorry, but I can't return your feelings."

Shion's shoulders trembled and tears escaped in an incessant flow from her eyes. She seemed so small and fragile. Her voice broke as she asked "why not me?"

He had to be honest, it was the least he could do. "I can't really explain it... I loved her since I was a kid. Something happened in my heart at that time when I saw her smile the cutest smile ever." Naruto smiled fondly at the old memory. "She is smart, strong and so much more when I'm just a fool. Sakura-chan has always pushed me forward. She helped me become a better man. I wouldn't be where I am without her. In fact, I wouldn't even be alive...I can't imagine my life with someone else than her." Sakura grabbed the back of his Hokage robe creasing the material between her fingers. "I love her and I always will. I don't know what to say more...I don't have a big explanation of how I feel for her." Naruto rubbed the nape of his neck not sure he had expressed himself correctly.

Shion turned around giving him her back, her hair fell around her face hiding like a curtain the tears she couldn't stop. "I release you from your promise." She mumbled heartbroken.

Silence danced around them cold and brutal. Naruto face morphed in a sad expression to have inflicted pain to someone he considered his friend.

"I wish I could help you somehow... Let me organize a festival for you... I'm sure... I'm sure you will find someone. I know a lot of people from all over the continent, you should have no trouble..." He tentatively proposed. Shion dried her tears with her sleeves.

"It's not that easy to fall in love with someone else..." the priestess cut him out accepting the fatality.

Naruto couldn't argue with her on that subject. No matter how desperate his situation with Sakura had been in the past, he never had been able to stop loving her.

Shion turned around and bowed respectfully. "I will take my leave Lord Seventh and return in my country now."

It hurts the distance she installed between them, but Naruto couldn't complain. It was a just payback for the pain he inflicted to her.

Respectably, Naruto bowed back but insisted for her to accept Konoha's hospitality. The young Hokage reasoned to her that she was his responsibility and he couldn't let her travel at night unguarded. As much as Shion would have loved to foolishly run away as far as possible from him. She couldn't. They were both leaders in their lands and needed to operate inside a strict international code. Naruto asked Shikamaru to organize the priestess stay and appoint a ninja team for her safe return. Shion followed the Advisor outside of the room and Sakura slipped her hand in Naruto's hand. Sakura's head came resting upon his arms, she closed her eyes, a loving smile on her lips. Her fiancé squeezed lightly her hand and kissed her hair.

"It was very nice what you said about me Naruto..." Sakura confessed moving her head to look at him.

The blond man caressed gently her face and smiled timidly chasing away the sadness from his feature. "It's all true..." He reassured her and she came up to kiss chastely his lips.

"You know what... I love you too and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

A cloud of pink burned his cheeks at her confession and he couldn't stop himself from hugging her. If the place wasn't surrounded by annoying ANBU in charge of his security, he would have done something more than that.

"What do you think if we go back at your place? You must be tired with your trip." Sakura offered and he nodded too happy that she planned to come with him.


	27. Chapter 27

**CHAPTER CORRECTED THANKS TO KITSU FOR BETA READING IT**

 _Guest: thank you! Here some hot sweetness ;)_

 _ultranx: thank you! I agree, Naruto feelings are important! I put on Shion because of the ending in the movie. Naruto was so unaware of his promise... hehehe (it was a good material to create some chaos XD)_

 _roy0611: thank you! Hope you will continue to like it_

 _Danny Ketchum: thank you! I am happy to have surprised you!_

 _Aqua Rules: thank you! I find Naruto love very pure and naïve... it is how I imagine him to be, very honest! I hope you will like his reward for his likeable side ;)_

 _DanteAzel: thank you for your comment! What kind of challenge? Fight? Sakura would have kill Shion in less than 3 min lol. I could have drag a little more the tension... maybe for a next story_

 _burt: thank you! Shion was a pest but she truly liked Naruto (I can understand why )_

 _Lunesme: thank you! You're right... Shion was just a tool to show more Naruto cuteness... and make some drama on the side._

 _LaDdraig: I will keep the advice for another story! It's good to know what my reader want...thank you!_

 _Anisha820: Thank you for your review! My english is not perfect either (it's all thanks to my beta reader that it became readable)... thank you, it's important for me to know if you like it!_

 _Dieinhappiness: thank you! Hope you will continue to like it_

 _Troa95: Naruto is an idiot and naïve guy, that's what make him so endearing. I want a Naruto too (that's why i'm dating my computer right now lol). Thank you so much for your support!_

 _TheReader234: thank you! I hope you will continue to like the evolution of charactere I give to Naruto and Sakura_

 _Naruto285: thank you! Hahaha! I can easily picture Sakura sending her with a kick straight to the ogre country_

 _Sinistra21:thank you! Hope you will continue to like it_

 _Guest: narusaku forever! thank you! Hope you will continue to like it_

 _Metriqs: thank you! Please continue to review_

 _EdkingV: thanks! There is more chapter for you... I hope you will like them_

 _ **Happy Valentine's day slightly in advance and a chapter full of love to enjoy it!**_

 _Previous chapter: Naruto come back from his trip and found Shion waiting for him in his office, asking him to honor his promise. He convince the priestess by confessing his love for Sakura.  
_

 _"What do you think if we go back at your place? You must be tired with your trip." Sakura offered and he nodded too happy that she planned to come with him._

 **CHAP 27**

Before leaving the office, Sakura remembered her medical report and dropped it quickly on his desk. She joined Naruto back at the door and left holding hands with him.

They walked pleasantly through Konoha's streets, the light breeze of the night slowly cooling off their tumultuous emotions. Sakura gave a sideways glance at her partner who was unusually silent. She could easily guess that his mind was troubled by the recent events. Naruto was worried for this priestess. There was no need to have divine power to understand that he felt responsible for his mistake and her tears. She shouldn't be jealous, after all he had chosen her. He had chosen her over a semi-goddess, with an unmistakably gorgeous face and perfect body, who could bring him more power and greater political influence. She shouldn't be jealous... but she was. The churning feeling in the back of her mind was making her feel insecure.

Sakura was distracted from her dark thoughts, however, by the rumbling of Naruto's stomach when they passed in front of Ichiraku. It was like a Pavlov reaction for Naruto. The smell of Ramen immediately awoke his hunger. The pinkette giggled at how his head instinctively turned toward the small restaurant while continuing walking with her. She pulled him toward it.

"You want Ramen, don't you?"

The blond smiled at her gratefully and Teuchi found them a place to sit at the bar, asking a team of genin to move to an outside table. Since Naruto became famous, the little restaurant gained so many customers that Teuchi had to add extra tables to receive the endless flow of customers. Some came thinking that the Hokage's diet had a connection with his incredible power, some were here to catch a glimpse of him, and all of them came back for the taste of it. Ayame greeted the couple and took charge of her favorite customer and his future bride.

As soon as the owner disappeared to prepare the food, the three genin ran back inside to surround their Hokage. The kids were in complete awe in front of the blond shinobi. Sakura couldn't help being happy for him. After all the hard work and sacrifice Naruto went through, after his dedication to the village to protect everyone... he deserved their praise and adoration.

Naruto gently ruffled the three kids' hair, making them squeal in excitement. One of the boys pulled a paper and a pen out of his pouch to ask him for an autograph; the girl followed the gesture and the third asked him to sign his tee-shirt. Naruto winced at the last one.

"Don't you think your mom would get angry if I wrote on your shirt?" he tried to reason.

The boy grinned. "No! My mom is your fan number one! I am number two after her!"

Sakura laughed, realizing that the boy was wearing a pair of orange tracksuit pants. Inadvertently, Naruto had made orange a new fashion with the younger generation. The Hokage accepted the request and Sakura chuckled at Naruto's expression while trying to write something on the back of a fidgeting kid. The pinkette's attention got diverted as the little girl came to stand in front of her with her hand extended with her paper.

"Can you sign it too?"

As much as it was common for Naruto to be in the spotlight and to be asked for autograph since the Fourth Shinobi War, it was quite a rare occurrence for Sakura. The head medic was surprised at the request. The girl beamed as Sakura took hold of her paper.

"My mom told me you were a Hero too! You saved my dad and the Hokage during the war! It's amazing! I want to specialize as a medic too to save my teammates!" she told her with enthusiasm.

Naruto stepped into the conversation as soon as he finished with the boy. "Your mom is right! Sakura-chan is great! She saved the lives of many people and she's good at fighting too!"

The other boys turned to the pinkette too, curious. "Really, you can heal and fight? Whoa!"

Naruto didn't stop here, making her more embarrassed by the second at his praise with his loud mouth. "Yeah and she is so strong that she could be Hokage instead of me if she wanted!"

The kids gaped in admiration and Sakura lightly punched his shoulder to make him stop saying nonsense. _Did he not see that those kids venerated him so much that they would believe anything he told them?_

"He's just joking!" Sakura disclaimed.

But the blond put his arm around her shoulders and brought her close to him. Naruto smiled inwardly, seeing that Sakura didn't reject him for touching her in public. "No, I swear, she was the apprentice of the Fifth Hokage and she's even stronger!" he insisted.

Sakura blushed. She wasn't sure she was stronger than either her master or him. But she was certain that he wasn't Hokage only for his strength. It was his 'Will of Fire' that had saved them all. It was his ability to unite people that was driving Konoha in this peaceful era. Naruto was so very special... irreplaceable!

Naruto found it so cute she was so shy under the praise, that he tried his luck again and kissed her on the cheek. The kids squealed. "So it's true! You _are_ getting married!"

Sakura wanted to hide her flustered face and Naruto proudly showed off the ring on her hand.

"In two months, she will be Sakura Uzumaki!" he announced triumphantly.

Sakura's head snapped to him, eyes wide, and he realized his mistake. Naruto smiled clumsily at her. "Oops... I got so happy to see you today that I forgot to tell you that the council approved of our wedding... Surprise!" He hoped that humor could save his life.

Strangely she didn't react the way he imagined her to react. She just blushed for a few more seconds without moving and when the shade of her cheeks was close to carmine she suddenly hid her face in her hands. Naruto laughed and squeezed her shoulders more tightly and Sakura leaned into him. Today was a good day, Sakura didn't reject him and she even leaned against him in front of people.

When Naruto had presented his wish to marry Sakura to the council two weeks ago, he had encountered a lot of opposition. Mostly from those who tried to send their daughters to his bed in a quest for power, he had to admit. The result of it had opened a case for a heated discussion between the Hokage and those annoying nobles. They made him wait. They tried to play on his nerves. They tried to force him into a political marriage. But he didn't budge a bit from his position. Stubbornness could be called a positive quality sometimes. The young Hokage had received the final decision two day ago. Now that he thought about it, Naruto suspected the sudden arrival of Shion to be part of their manipulation. But how did they know about the priestess? Was his promise written in a report somewhere?

The kids ran away as Teuchi arrived with the ramen. The old man laughed seeing the couple. It was a nice change. He had known the blond man since he was no more than three apples high. He remembered fondly the time when the kid was telling him how much he loved his pink-haired teammate... and now he would be marrying her soon. Teuchi served the bowls in front of them and announced that it was on the house for the good news. Ayame joined the discussion and as the customers continued to come in, the old man and his daughter left them to enjoy their meal.

Being Hokage had its good sides and its inconveniences as well. Naruto couldn't go anywhere in public without being recognized. Having your face carved on a mountain didn't help one stay incognito. Every person entering the restaurant came to greet him, to the point where Sakura finished her ramen before him. The blond didn't want to make her wait for him too long. So he used the two-minute break before the next arrival to gulp down the last bit of his ramen and thanked the old man while exiting holding Sakura's hand.

They arrived in front of his door a few minutes later after a relaxing walk in the now nearly empty streets. Naruto pulled his keys out of his pocket and inserted them into the keyhole. He stopped before turning the doorknob, his mind visibly wandering off somewhere.

"Is there something wrong Naruto?" Sakura asked.

The blond opened the door and invited her inside. "I was just thinking that I should give you a key... I mean... it would be easier for you to come in and you wouldn't have to wait for me... You could come whenever you want," he blushed while rambling confusedly, tripping over his own words. She found his clumsiness cute and the way he tried to hide it even more so. He looked like a kid playing all grown up. This innocent side of him was so endearing.

They sat at the entrance to take off their sandals and Naruto pulled out his slippers from the shoe cabinet in an automatic manner. He got in the habit after Tsunade had offered him a pair telling him it would be more comfortable for him and again the older woman had been right. His eyes passed from his slippers to Sakura's bare feet. The pinkette was arranging her sandals on the side and got a surprise when he dropped the over-sized slippers in front of her.

"Please, use them for now. I'll get some for you soon."

She glanced at them and at his bare feet. "Use them instead! They're too big for me anyway!" she insisted, pushing them back to him.

Obstinately he pushed them over again and the slippers passed back and forth at an insane pace from the blond to the pinkette for three foolish minutes. At the end of her patience, Sakura yelled, "Enough!" bonking his head with her fist. Naruto stared at her with defiance while rubbing the top of his head.

"OK! But if you don't wear those slippers, I will carry you inside."

His gaze turned somewhat wolfish. Sakura froze and he used the opportunity to put the slippers on her feet like he would to help a child. Naruto tried to restrain his grin or he was sure to get hit again. Her feet looked like those of a kid stealing her parent's shoes.

"It's ridiculous!" she commented at the sight and his grin broke out.

"So it's settled!" Naruto declared carrying her bridal style to climb the stairs.

The atmosphere around him changed as each step brought them closer to his room. Sakura glanced at him furtively, butterflies dancing in her belly. There was so many Narutos: Naruto her friend, Naruto the Hokage, Naruto the eternal kid... and Naruto the man, the very erotic man... She blushed as she tightened her grip around his neck while hiding her face in his shoulder. Her heart quickened its pace as they passed through his room's doorway and she felt everything in slow motion until they reached the bed. The rhythmic, muffled sound of his footsteps resonated in her head, a loud pounding that increased the stirring feeling in her guts at each thump.

Time got back on track as he sat on his bed, keeping her on his lap. She didn't let go of his neck immediately, instead relishing in his warm embrace a little more. Naruto didn't move either. The only sound now was their calm breathing, masking their inner tumult. His hand so very gently came to caress her hair, almost hesitantly, like he was afraid to break the harmony of that moment together.

His fingertips slipped carefully into the pink strands. A micro-electric wave ran through her scalp. Sakura raised her head to meet his gaze and her heart bounced against her ribcage. He was looking at her as if she were the apple of his eye, his whole face expressing so much love and gentleness. She lost her sense of the world and reality to fall into the whirlpool of his eyes. She entered, at that instant, into a whole different universe held inside those fascinating blue orbs.

Time didn't matter between them, words even less. Infinity was their garden and they talked freely with a silent melody from their souls. Soft as the brush of an eyelash, his lips came to the mark on her forehead, placing some magical spell on her. She felt as if her whole body was engulfed in a warm and delicate light. Everything that had ever existed until now was dispersed under his wind and she let her consciousness dissolve in the ocean of his love. Intuitively a small smile blossomed on her lips and Spring danced in his heart. She was for him this endless beauty of a rain of petals under a sakura tree.

With a devotion reserved for deities, Naruto leaned forward to make himself the offering to his divinity, sealing his promise with his lips. The kiss was soft, almost ethereal, so pure that it was bound by no physical law, an imaginary miracle. His breath drew whimsical lines on her skin as his mouth traveled over her jaw. His lips, incredibly close to her skin, left her with the ghostly feeling of a brush that didn't dare to touch her. She whispered his name like a prayer, extending her neck as a present. With an airy touch, his warm, large hand caressed the cherished white collar of her dress. A pause, and the trembling fingers unhurriedly rode up her frail neck, taking their time to feel the erratic pulsation of her beating heart through a timid vein.

Sakura dared to move ever so slightly, searching for him and his touch. Her lips encountered his whiskers and trailed a series of kisses, flowing like butterflies, to his mouth. Hearth and heaven melted together in a long, searing kiss. They broke apart dizzy, heads lost in some far-away clouds.

Her hands reached his collar and untied the button of his Hokage robe. Sakura passed her fingers underneath, slowly removing the material while enjoying the strong structure of his shoulder. Immobile, his gaze followed the movement of her hand, his breath hitching in his throat as if suffocating under the building emotions. He bit his lip when her hands fumbled with the first button of his shirt. His eyes were transfixed by the delicate play of her fingers which nearly artistically unfastened one button after the other, the little piece passing sensually through the slit. Naruto had never before thought that removing a shirt could be so erotic.

The fresh air of the room blew under the chink on his shirt tail in a discreet breeze, and he shivered when her hands brushed his skin, passing underneath the clothes. First her fingertips, then all of her hands followed, sliding teasingly from his chest to his collarbone, her palm purposely enveloping the round tips of his shoulders. The collar of his shirt fell down in the back and she helped the item by accompanying its descent down his arms, caressing them all the way to his wrists. Her eyes hungrily took in the sight of her lover, his naked skin exposed only for her. The unmistakable bulge in his pants attracted her attention and her hands went to work on the next garment.

His hands left his shirt cuff and stopped her activity. "Wait! It's my turn..." he murmured, his voice hoarse with unveiled desire.

Naruto took his time, letting her wait and boil under his contemplation. His hands moved without touching her, making her shudder with anticipation for his contact. Finally, he unfastened the button at her collar with enough dexterity to make a surgeon jealous. His blue eyes connected with hers and the smirk on his lips held a thousand delectable promises. Without breaking eye contact, he pulled down the zipper of her top with a sadistic slowness. With just one look, he was able to set a fire in her belly.

The light click signaled his task's completion and instead of sliding his hands through the chink, her unpredictable ninja passed his hands over her lower back, encircling her with his arms. He let himself sensually caress the desirable curve of her spine while causing the garment to ride up with his movement. Naruto arrived at her shoulder and, in a gentle caress, lifted her arms above her head. He led the red top away, discarding it to the side with one hand once it passed her fingertips, while he brought her arms down to lean on his shoulders with his other hand. Eye to eye, just a breath away from each other, the temptation was at its peak.

Naruto unhooked the back of her bra and the small piece of lace slipped out of place. His eyes abandoned her gaze, unbearably attracted by the sight of the pink nipple appearing above the fallen lace and came back to lock eyes with her, a pink hue on his cheeks. Sakura dropped her arms from his shoulders and he wanted to protest but forgot. She had thrown her bra off to join her top on the floor. His brain had found another subject to captivate his interest. Sakura wanted to laugh at his reaction. It was like putting candies in front of a kid, nothing else existed.

His eyes met her amused ones and he frowned. His arms drew her tightly against him and he toppled her over on the bed. Sakura yelped in surprise. The blond supported himself on his knees and elbows, hovering above her tantalizingly. His eyes grew serious, looking straight into her soul. Naruto took one of her hands and put her palm against his chest.

"I love you Sakura-chan... Not just for your body. I love you with my heart."

She could feel the powerful beating of his heart, his strong and steady pulse. She smiled tenderly at him, lifting herself to reach his lips. There were no words that could express what she was feeling better than a kiss.

Naruto leaned down to let her rest on the mattress without breaking the kiss. It wasn't an urgent or torrid kiss. It was a subtle mix of softness and passion, a constellation of emotions. All thought was abandoned to only feel, to only love. Instinctively, they mutually discovered their partner in a gradual play, with their hands, with their mouths, with their hearts. One by one, the last of the items covering them flew somewhere in the room, long forgotten. Their desire dissolved the remnants of their minds into clouds of vapor as he penetrated her with excruciating slowness. It was beyond human comprehension, the explosion of sensation at each millimeter entering her. It was like the chemical fusion of two bodies that were meant to be one.

They made love unhurriedly, enjoying each movement to its fullest, steadily building an inner fire ready to explode like a firework at any given second. Moans, grunt and mewls formed a sensual melody in their ears, arousing their quest for their partner's pleasure.

A tear escaped Sakura's eyes as again her mind went blank and her face contorted in the utmost expression of ecstasy. He slowed down to let her ride out the orgasmic wave and his lips came to collect the salty pearl rolling from the corner of her eye to her temple in a kiss. Her sight was blurry and her heart still burning in her chest when she opened her eyes to look at the loving expression on his face. Naruto was patiently contemplating her and she found it unfair that he kept pleasuring her without himself getting lost in the blissful sensation. Her hand caressed his whiskers and he closed his eyes, pressing his cheek against her palm to enjoy the full contact of her hand on his face.

"Naruto..." The blue orbs reappeared in answer to her call. "I want to give you pleasure, too," she whispered shyly.

He smiled tenderly before giving her a peck on her lovely nose. "You are already... so much," the blond stated as she insisted further. "I am more happy than I could have ever imagined," he assured her, meeting her for another kiss.

"Naruto..." Sakura murmured in a desperate plea.

Everything she wished, he would give her. All of him, the world, the moon and even the whole universe if she asked. His hips moved anew in a languid pace and the fire burned. There was something mystical in the sensation induced by their connected bodies. It was intoxicating. He felt light-headed, all thought lost to the instinct of love. Sakura held him tight, pressing their chests together to be as close to him as possible. She loved him. She loved him like she never thought she could love. It was frightening how important he had become. He was her air, the wind which blew on a spark to make an inferno. She was consumed by it but couldn't bring herself to tame the fire.

His name, his name like a kabbalistic mantra resonated through the room while her nails pierced the skin on his back; he had conquered her. There was a puff of warm air on her neck. Naruto moaned, sensing his end was close. His sex, painfully engorged, slammed deep inside of her, swelling even more to the point of exploding. His body tensed up in one, ultimate jerk; his breath got caught in his throat and he moaned, "Sakura," as the intense wave of pleasure washed over him. She followed him with a cry at the sensation of his release, lost in her exultation.

It had been insane, completely insane. Naruto chuckled, his heart not calming down a bit, his body still entangled tightly with hers. His head was spinning around, but he managed to raise it to look at her. Sakura was breathing hard too, eyes closed to the world. It was insane how much he loved her. He noted a red love bite on her neck and apologized for it. Her jade eyes blearily looked to him and she waved his apology away.

"Don't worry Naruto, I will erase it later... I think I scraped your back badly. Does it hurt?"

He shook his head with an amused smile. "I hardly felt it... I was too lost in you." He gave her a peck on the lips and another, another again and it turned more heated. Naruto began to sway his hips and she gasped.

"Naruto?"

He smiled at her surprised look. "I didn't see you for ten days... It's normal to be horny, isn't it?" he told her to justify the hardness of his virility. He kissed her again and she discovered, that night, Naruto was a sex demon now that he had recovered from his sickness.

 **REVIEWS = UPDATE = MORE STORIES!**


	28. Chapter 28

**CHAPTER CORRECTED THANKS TO DESCRIPTION ALIVE**

 _LaDraig: Thank you! I am happy that you liked it! I tried to have a different form of love expressed in each lemon. This one was the point of fusion. All romantic... it mark the beginning of them being really one. For the chapter size, they are all more or less the same. Even if they are not so long, at least, they came regularly as long as people follow my work._

 _Troa95:Thank you so much... your appreciation mean the world to me. Thank you very much! I didn't push too much into a demon sex scene as I didn't want this fic to turn into a porn. I have quite a few chapter of lemon and don't want to overdo the sex to keep the light and fresh feeling of their blooming love. For the Ichiraku part, Naruto have always praised Sakura throughout the serie, finding her 'amazing' and such... Naruto is so adorable_ _*Dear santa clause, can you send me a man like Naruto next christmas... I promise to be a nice girl all year long*_

 _KellytheKid: Thank you! There will be this and that in between their love life, as a river, love have some rock to go around..._

 _EdkingV:T hank you! I am happy that you liked my choice of words XD_

 _TheReader234: Thank you! I hope you're ok and nothing weight to much on your mind._

 _Ultranx: Thank you!_

 _Guest 007: Thank you very much! I am actually trying to motivate myself to write a third NaruSaku story. I should publish the first chapter soon "All over again". To reply to your comment on Dangerous infiltration mission. I want to thank you to have followed me there to the end. And as your other question, I am not Indian, I love India and I am traveling in India right now. Today I will be in Mysore and might move again in few days._

 _Guest: Thank you! A wedding is a big event enough, no?_

 _Dieinhappiness: Thank you so much... Yeah the wedding is coming soon but not exactly yet._

 _Naru285: Thank you! I agree with you... Naruto save the world it is true, but she is the one keeping him alive and tending to his wound all the time. She deserve credit for it!_

 _Guest: Thanks! This one was mostly a romantic love... there will be other love moment *_ _perverted grin_ _*_

 _burt: Thank you here and for dangerous infiltration mission! The new story should be arriving shortly, I am waiting for the correction. The title will be "all over again"_

 _michaeltop10: Thank you very much! I hope you will continue to like the story._

 **Chap 28**

Naruto arrived in the early morning at Konoha's gate to wish the priestess a safe return home. Their exchange had been polite, politically correct and nothing more. Naruto insisted that She could always count on Konoha and on him as her friend. The Hokage assured her that he would do everything in his power to help her to find happiness. Shion smiled sadly at him and climbed inside her carriage. It was still too early to be able to call him a friend when the only thing she wanted was to be more to him. Her pale hand waved from the window, her face remaining hidden in the closed carriage, keeping her tears secret from his view.

XXXXX

Sakura's eyes were forced open by the aggressive bright light coming in from the window. She turned over to smile at her lover, raising herself abruptly up onto her elbows when she found his place to be empty. A key was left on his pillow with a note saying _"For you"_ beside it. The pinkette looked around, searching for the alarm clock and shrieking when she found it. She was so late! Jumping to her feet, Sakura winced, still sore from the previous night's activities, before she rushed to the bathroom, taking a quick shower and soothing herself with some healing chakra before running at full speed to work.

The head medic arrived out of breath at her office, panicked over her tardiness. She hastily grabbed her schedule as her assistant entered, having noticed a flash of pink hair passing in the corridor. "Good Morning, Sakura-sama! Please don't worry! Shizune-san took care of your first surgery. It went well. She's now on her second operation," her assistante informed her. Sakura sighed in relief, but clenched her fist, angry to have created such a mess. Too many lives depended on her work; she swore to herself to never again bring trouble to her team. _Shizune must be exhausted, having to deal with two major surgeries one after the other. I'll have to rearrange the schedule so I can take her next shift._

"Thank you, Kumiko-san.I will reorganize the schedule and give it to you to make the necessary modifications." The pinkette then dove into her work, trying to be as efficient as possible to make up for time lost.

At around noon, her concentration was broken by a knock on the door. Briefly, Sakura glanced up at the visitor and her anger flared. He was here. The reason for all this distressful chaos, innocently smiling in front of her. Naruto Uzumaki.

She had been slaving over the mess that _he'd_ made, trying to clean it up for _hours_ now. Sakura felt her anger increasing until it finally reached a boiling point. The pen in her hand broke under the pressure of her fingers as her fiancé advanced to her desk, blissfully unaware of her anger.

"Hey, Sakura-chan! Do you want to grab something to eat with me?" Naruto cheerfully offered her, a stupid toothy grin on his face.

Something in her snapped, "I have no time for you!" Sakura barked, furious.

His smile dropped, sensing her irritation, "What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

She wanted to strangle him, to wipe away his clueless expression. _Can't he at least guess?_

"What, you ask? I got here late because a certain someone forgot to wake me up!" she growled, her tone cold and somber.

Naruto gulped, "Sorry, Sakura-chan! I left early, and you looked tired anyway, so…" the blond tried to justify his choice, smiling clumsily and scratching the back of his head.

Sakura hit the table with the palm of her hand, creating a crater on impact, "Don't give me that 'I'm sorry' bullshit! Whose fault was it that I was tired and late today? I take my job seriously! Now, leave! I'm busy!" she hissed.

He dropped his hand, his smile vanishing as he lowered his eyes. Naruto didn't argue; he just obeyed her, walking out of the office with nothing more than a nod. The click to the door brought her back to reality and Sakura realized that she'd gone overboard again. She had let her temper get to her, and she let all her frustration out on him. The pinkette ran out into the hall, trying to catch him before he reached the door, but unfortunately, she ran into Shizune first.

"Sakura! Are you ok? You're pale... Don't worry about today's procedures if you aren't feeling well; we can reschedule some of them and I can take the rest," the dark-haired medic suggested.

The head medic, looking somewhat desperate, excused herself quickly, telling Shizune that she'd be to surgery in a few minutes as she set off running again. Sakura finally made it to the door, but he was long gone by then. _Why does this idiot have to be so fast?_ She dried her tears with the back of her sleeve. Tonight, she would find a way to be forgiven. For now, she would just have to do those surgeries.

XXXX

Sakura let herself into his house that night, after her shift. She brought with her some food to cook for dinner. She hoped that Naruto would still be hungry when he got back home. After getting everything ready for his arrival, Sakura went to wait on the sofa with some medical work she had yet to finish from earlier. Ten pm passed without any sign of him, and when midnight rolled around, her head began to nod involuntarily as she read. At three am, she was asleep, her face on top of her report.

The pinkette jumped awake when she saw soft light of dawn flowing into the room. Walking around the house, Sakura saw that his shoes weren't at the door, and his bed was still perfectly done up–a sign that he hadn't even come back for a short nap while she was asleep. Sakura hung her head, feeling guilty. A load of irrational "What ifs" invaded her brain, each of them more terrifying than the last. She caved in on herself, her fingers gripping her hair and her heart pumping rapidly at the different scenarios. One question pushed in between the million others: _where is he?_ She breathed in, trying to think through her confusion. _The Hokage office... They must know where he is; they always know._ She left without a second thought.

As word of her engagement had spread all throughout Konoha, in the Hokage tower, there wasn't a single soul that hadn't been informed of the state of her relationship with the young Hokage. Sakura passed in front of Naruto's assistant's desk and was surprised to find her here so early.

"Good morning, Hana. I was wondering if you've seen Lord Seventh." Even if Sakura addressed him as Naruto in private, she still kept the habit of always using his title whenever she asked for him at work. The woman threw her a knowing smile, one saying "I know you're looking for your fiancé." Sakura cringed; if she weren't in such a pinch with him, she would've blushed. But she felt closer to tears than to being lovestruck right now. She had screwed up, and now she needed to find him.

"He's in his office–" Hana began, not having time to say more as the pinkette practically vanished. The assistant giggled to herself. _What a cute couple! The Yellow Flash and now the Pink Flash._ She sighed happily, leaning her head in her hand atop her desk, _I hope his all-nighters stop after he gets married; I don't think I can handle any more of these early mornings…_

Sakura knocked on the door she stood in front of, the sound of Naruto's voice sending a shiver down her spine when he told her to come in. Her fears from earlier suddenly came rushing back to her, plaguing her mind as she opened the door. _What if..._ He was sitting at his desk, Shikamaru hovering above his shoulder, talking about something the blond was writing. He was busy. It was a bad idea to come. She hadn't thought anything of it when Hana had told her he was here, her body had just moved on its own. His blue gaze was all business when he finally turned to acknowledge the other person in the room. She felt stupid. Naruto seemed surprised; too surprised to talk, evidently, as it was Shikamaru who greeted her instead of him.

"Ah, Sakura! Perfect!" The strategist invited her to take a seat across from them and she noticed she was quickly starting to feel uncomfortable.

Naruto's attention was jerked back again by the other man behind him, who asked him to change something on the scroll. His blond brows furrowed as he listened to his advisor, nodding and scribbling something down on the paper as Shikamaru spoke. Naruto eventually looked up at her with a small smile, "Good morning, Sakura-chan."

Sakura felt like she could breath again hearing him say her name. It was so trivial, but it was enough to put her more at ease.

"Can you have a look at this proposition for the alliance's exchange project? Part of it details medical work, so it directly concerns your field of expertise. We'll need you to name a person that could come with us during the exchange trips as well," Naruto explained as he passed her the scroll.

Her eyes landed on the text and the many crossed out words that filled it, proof that it had been harshly vetted. Sakura skimmed through it until she arrived at the medical part. _"The representative would have to travel with the Hokage at the time of his mission. Each mission will last about two weeks per village, and time will be used to gather knowledge to relay to other medical-nin in Konoha."_

The pinkette glanced up at him. His face was impassive, arms crossed over his chest. Naruto noticed her gaze on him and replied to what he thought she was thinking.

"You don't have to give us a name immediately; you can think about it and get back to us in a day or two," the Hokage offered, trying not pressure her.

Inner Sakura whispered reminders in her head, saying that this would mean Naruto would be away from her two weeks, plus travel time, four times this year. The counting was quickly done and Sakura wrote her name down to be the representative. She passed back the scroll, Shikamaru snickering silently when he read what she'd put down, but Naruto looked skeptical.

"Sakura-chan, the representative would have to be away a lot... can you manage that with the hospital?" Naruto inquired, not sure she had thought things through.

Green eyes turned suspicious. Was their relationship really so damaged that he didn't even want her to come with him?

"Is that a problem with you? I _am_ the best choice for the job, seeing as I'm the one in charge of training the medical staff in Konoha. If organized in advance, I can take the needed measures to ensure that the hospital stays working just as efficiently as it would if I were here. But if you'd prefer someone else..." Sakura let her sentence hang, hoping he'd cut in. He did.

"No! You're fine! You're perfect, Sakura-chan!" Naruto accepted, panicked.

Shikamaru grabbed the scroll, announcing that he would bring it directly to the secretariat. He slipped out of the office, not wanting to get dragged into their argument.

The couple stayed silent in front of each other, Naruto afraid to have made Sakura angry with another mistake, and Sakura questioning how he viewed their relationship. She had thought that he would be happy if she suggested to come, yet he had tried to dissuade her. That couldn't mean anything good.

Naruto realized that it wasn't usual for her to come by the Hokage office at this time. Typically, she was only here once weekly in the late afternoon to drop off her medical report, and once a month for the general meeting. He pushed away his curiosity. He had to be professional for her. She was always so serious at her job, he knew she would hate it if he didn't take her coming here seriously. The blond collected himself, and using the most businesslike attitude he could muster, he asked, "What can I do for you?"

A chill ran through her at his bureaucratic tone, _Yep! The situation is worse than I imagined_ , she thought. How could she bring herself to talk about their relationship in such a cold atmosphere? But she couldn't back down. If she had hurt something between them, she needed to fix it, fast. Naruto was too important not to at least try for. If he scolded her for disturbing him at his work, so be it. She braced herself, inhaling deeply and shivering once more from his expression, which betrayed no emotion as he waited for her to talk.

"Naruto... are you angry with me?" Sakura blurted, her heart sinking to the pit of her stomach.

He blinked, tilting his head as he repeated the action a few times more, a questioning look on his face. _Why would she…?_ "Ano... Sakura-chan... why would I be angry? I mean, you're the one who's angry with me..."

Her half-lidded eyes scrutinized him skeptically. _What is he talking about?_ "I'm not angry... You're the one who's angry. You didn't come back home yesterday, and didn't want me to join you on the mission..."

A stupid grin sprouted on his face. "You came home?"

Her teeth began to grind. _Was he feigning innocence?_ "Don't play dumb! You gave me a key!" Sakura yelled.

The blond winced, sensing danger, "Ah-ha! I knew it! You _are_ mad at me…" he said, trailing off at the end when he saw her expression only getting more and more pissed. A bead of sweat dripped down his temple.

Sakura snatched his collar, bringing his face just a few mere inches away from hers. Frightened blue met burning green, "I am not!" she stated. He didn't believe her one bit. "Where were you if you weren't avoiding me then?" Sakura interrogated, closely watching his reactions.

His face was turning blue, "Sa-Sakura-chan– You're stran-gling me..." Naruto managed to utter with difficulty. Then it hit her: she had let her temper get the best of her again. She released him as if he'd burnt her. He fell back in his chair, gasping for breath. The blond rubbed the sore spot on his neck and answered her question, honestly confused, "I was here. I stayed working to finish the project... I thought you would still be mad at me and wouldn't come anyway."

It was embarrassing for him to admit that he'd had to pull an all-nighter to finish his work on time. He didn't want to look bad in front of her; he knew he wasn't as smart as Kakashi-sensei or Baa-chan.

 _He was working_. Her heart had been put through the mill because he'd stayed late to work. She wanted to laugh at herself for her stupidity and her skin-deep emotion, but she had been so frightened to lose him, all she could do was cry. Sakura hid her face in her hands; she felt so ridiculous. Why did she always act so extremely when it came to him?

"Sakura-chan? I'm sorry, Sakura-chan... I didn't know," he murmured apologetically, "Are you disappointed in me, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked dejectedly.

The pinkette shook her head and let her hands fall back to her sides. Her eyes lowered to look at the floor, "I'm the one who should be sorry. I screamed at you yesterday when I was just as much at fault as you were. It takes two to make love..." she sent a shy glance his way, "I'm sorry, Naruto, for always being so mean to you."

Naruto looked surprised by her apology, like he never expected her to do so. It was so normal, nearly a habit between them to fight over everything. It was always him doing something stupid and her drilling the fact that it was stupid through his thick skull in her own way. Generally, he just needed to keep a low profile to not bring more fuel to the fire when she was mad for things to go back to how they were before. But he never imagined that entering a relationship with her could change that unchangeable process. Naruto smiled hopefully.

"Does that mean that you can come tonight too?" the blond tried his luck, thinking for a second before he added, "I promise to set the alarm clock."

She had already been out of her house for two nights and she was sure to get some serious teasing from her mom if she left her bed deserted for a third night in a row. But he was worth it, "What time do you get off?" Sakura asked shyly.

His smile brightened, "If you come, I won't be back later than nine," he promised.

 **All my motivation depend on you! Please review!**


	29. Chapter 29

**CHAP CORRECTED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF WALKEROFDARKNESS. THANKS A LOT!**

 _Sinistra21: Thank you! I hope you will continue to like it! Let me know please!  
_

 _RigdbyDaSon27: Thank you very much!_ _I hope you will continue to like it!  
_

 _Anisha820:Thank you! I hope you will enjoy the new chapter!_

 _Danny Ketchum:Thank you! It's hard work and I will try to continue to improve. i hope I will not disappoint you!_

 _Illuminated:5/ I didn't read this story, what's the title? 6/ Poor Naruto was drunk as well, but I think Sakura liked it quite a bit ;) 17/ Kakashi is very close to them and care for them, it was natural for him to visit. 21/ I understand your point, mine is I feel, if I didn't ask, people just think that they don't need to. When in all honesty, I suffer from doubt and it is the real cause of my writing block. 26/ I doubt Sakura would have share anything from her man to any other woman. She would just have punched to death the priestess XD. 28/ Thank you very much to have give me you point of you throuhough the story, It was very nice! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! i hope you will continue to like it._

 _Guest:Thank you very much! My beta did a great job, my english is miserable and even if I had tried hard, I couldn't correct it by myself. I am happy that you can enjoy my story. I hope you will continue to like it._

 _Ultranx: thank you very much for being there for me :)_

 _Guest007: I think the indian flag came by itself as I connected from India. I would love to go there, it is on my plan to visit, but I begin first my spiritual journey through yoga and mediation (on my path to become a toad sage ;) )_

 _Troa95: Thank you very much! Yeah I though it was time for Sakura to begin to rethink her way of acting with Naruto. But she still have her temper. I hope you will like this chapter, it's just a connecting chapter before the big event_

 _DanteAzel: Thank you! Hope you will continue to like!_

 _2000: Thank you very much! Having a NaruHina fan liking my NaruSaku stories give me a great deal of pride and pleasure. I hope you will continue to like it and maybe, you will finally like this pairing (Everybody have the right to dream lol)_

 _Dieinhappiness: Thank you! NARUSAKU FOREVER! The fight continue!_

 _thelostman88:Thank you! The wedding arrive soon! I hope you will continue to like it!_

 _Gamer Guy : 15/ Thank you very much *tear from joy* I hope you will like it and continue to read me. please continue to give me your opinion! Thank you very much_

 _TheReader234: Thank you! This chapter will be a little less emotional as it is more of a connecting chapter. But I hope you will still like it_

 _Touken: Thank you so so much! You don't know how much your words mean to me! Don't worry the story is completly written and except if my reader abandon me (or I broke my computer), the story will be delivered. I think most of the people insist on Sakura's jealousy to show the change of heart that she had with Naruto, and Sakura to me is the jealous type. But don't worry, Naruto will have his moments too, very soon in fact (hehe). For Hikaru, there will be again a slight mention of him here, but he will have a bigger role in the sequel of this story, that I will write one day... maybe if I don't give up on writing. So the wedding is coming soon! Thank you for your review and I will be waiting anxiously for your opinion. Thank you very very much!_

 **CHAP 29:**

Life had been hectic ever since the date of their wedding had been officially announced. They had been running around between their duty, the preparation for their wedding and the chaos that have followed with unexpected love rivals. The chain of dramatic events may have begun with Shion, but it hadn't been the only one and Sakura wondered amazed how many girls more were waiting in the shadow? Her man had been a womanizer without knowing it himself.

Even a little girl got her heart broken by the news. This one had been the hardest on Naruto. One afternoon, the Hokage had received a report from the orphanage that a kid had run away and was nowhere to be found. Reading Myu's name on the report, the leader had immediately sent out a ninja team before heading out to search for her too. In his sage-mode, the blond had been able to locate the familiar chakra of the child, but it was already too late. The kid had been hurt falling into a trap surrounding the village.

Sakura remembered clearly his pained face when her fiancé walked into the hospital with the small body against his chest. He had already done most of the healing in his sage-of-six-path mode but he insisted for Sakura to check on the child. Naruto stayed the whole time of the examination, straight in his white Hokage robe stained with blood, hands covered with the same red liquid clenched in tight fists, face marked with guilt. The head medic had tried to reassure him to lift up his mood. But his eyes never had left the small body lying in the bed. There were no enemies to fight against; he had been the cause of the disaster. No words could pass the barrier of his guilty conscience, so Sakura just hugged him when she finished her examination. The pinkette remembered how she had wanted to cry when she had heard his trembling voice declare that it was all his fault.

The child woke up one hour later and jumped on Naruto's chest in tears. The blond had held her close to his heart, hearing out the child's whimpers and reassuring her with gentle words. It have been enough to close the problem. But Sakura knew that night when Naruto went to bed with her that he wasn't in his usual mood. She cuddled against him and they had stayed silent in each other's embrace, his head resting on her hair and his hand absentmindedly caressing her back. Naruto didn't know how to share his pain, even with her.

As if the mess created by Naruto's admirers wasn't enough to add to her trouble, Sakura had to deal with psychotic jerks that wanted to control everything about her wedding. She hadn't been able to decide anything from the ritual ceremony to the reception. Most of the organization had been taken of by Konoha council as 'politically critical'. Even their vow had to be approved by the council. How many meetings were held with them standing mute as simple bit-player?

The passing days had been wearing with those constants discussions. But to be honest, except for their guest list, they both didn't care much about the color of flowers or the priest that would do the ritual. They didn't have the time either. Naruto would at each subjects check with a glance if Sakura was bothered by either of the suggestion. The head medic would usually grant him a smile with the subtitle 'whatever-is-good-with-me' and the young Hokage would mostly let the old geezers debate to the point from coming to blow without involving himself unnecessarily. Honestly as long as he had the bride of his choice, he would let them deal with the frills and the official matter at hand.

However, the pinkette remembered how her fiancé apologized to her one night before going to sleep to have robbed her the joy to prepare herself her own wedding. Sakura had laughed at him, reassuring him. Like him, she didn't have the time to deal with all those things necessary for a wedding and the only thing that she really cared for was to marry him. And in a very practical point, it was quite good that Konoha organized everything as they took care of the cost as well as the decisions. The Hokage marriage was a political event after all. Her easy smile warmed up his heart, and then Naruto demonstrated how much he loved her for the largest part of the night.

XXXX

Sakura entered her room exhausted. The day had been spent with her understandably excited parents. Tonight was her last night as a Haruno and for that occasion, she had a dinner with her whole family, grandmother included, at her parent's house. The atmosphere had been excessive and she was a little vexed that her grandmother had praised her to be the 'Hokage's fiancée'. The pinkette strangely had been hurt by that comment. She was proud that Naruto was the Hokage, it had always been his dream, but she wasn't with him for his title.

Sakura walked to her closet and ran her hand along the soft silk of her wedding kimono. It was such a beautiful piece; a white kimono with a sea of pink flower at the bottom dancing on the garment as if carried with a gust of wind, some golden embroidery were enhancing the petal to give a particular radiance as if the sun shined on it. The obi accompanying it was pink adorned with small delicate carmine flowers, a real piece of art. The kunoichi was sure she'd never had been able to afford it had the council not paid for it. It was something from a fairy tale, simple but astonishingly elegant. Sakura had to admit, as much as those old geezers were annoying, the work they had done for Naruto's wedding were amazing. People loved him so much that nobody would have accepted less than the best for their beloved Hokage.

The future bride went to sit on her bed and looked around at her childhood room. _It will be my last night here_ , she thought nostalgic and exhilarated at the same time. She let herself flop on the mattress. _The same small bed I had always slept in_. She smiled for herself. _Not always.._. Since she had begin to date Naruto, Sakura realized that she had spent more nights in his bed than in hers. Their relationship could be defined of as 'whirlwind'; everything had been so fast it was scary. The scariest part was her complete addiction to him and it seemed to getting worse at each passing day. _I can't believe that tomorrow we will be married..._

XXXXX

Naruto left his office at ten pm and quickly ran to Ichiraku. All the customers came to congratulate him for his impending wedding. The blond heartily thanked them while looking apologetically at his former teacher who was waiting for him at least half an hour. Once he passed the barrier of people, Naruto came to sit at the stool near the man he considered his father figure.

"Sorry to be so late Iruka-sensei, I have been stuck at the office to deal with the Kages."

Iruka waved his hand to make the blond stop apologizing. "I can understand Lord Hokage and you don't have to call me sensei."

Naruto pouted. "I never have been a man of title... You will always be Iruka-sensei to me and out of the office, I am Naruto for you... After all, I would never have been where I am without you."

Iruka blushed and tears swelled up in his eyes. His cute little student have grown up so much. Now Naruto was Hokage and tomorrow he would be married. The teacher turned his head the other side to keep his pride by not showing his emotion. "It's on me tonight! You can have any topping you want!" offered Iruka.

Naruto chuckled and patted his teacher on the shoulder. "No, it's on me... I have a lifetime worth of ramen to pay back," the blonde smiled, returning the favor.

The two men ate bowls of ramen, exchanging old time stories and laughing together at Naruto's old pranks. Before midnight, Iruka checked his watch and rose to leave. "You should go home and get some rest, you've got a big day ahead of you,'' the former teacher advised with a goodbye wave. "I'll see you at your home tomorrow morning!"

Instead of going back home, Naruto jumped gracefully on the rooftop and went to visit the other important people to him. In few leaps, the young man arrived at the tomb of Fourth Hokage and his wife. He knelt down and brushed the stone with his hand. It was cold under his hand, but he still felt a warm feeling surging in his chest thinking about his dead parents. A faint smile came to his face.

"Hello Mom! Dad! It's been a while now... So many things have changed... The biggest of all, I'm gonna get married tomorrow." Naruto chuckled to himself at the fast turnover in his life. "You know her, dad. You met her during the war. She was the girl who was healing me... She finally returned my feelings." Emotion flushed over him thinking of all those long years of unrequited love. His lips trembled. "finally!" He got a grip on himself and exhaled loudly. "I never have talked about her to you mom, but I'm sure that you would love her. She's sometime violent with me and she nags me a lot, but I know that it's for my own good." He smiled again thinking of his beloved Sakura. "She always pushes me forward and takes good care of me. She also tries to make me eat more healthily..." His smile broadened. "And most of all... When I'm with her, I'm filled with love. I think that from now on, I will never feel empty!" He let his palm rest on their name. "You don't have to worry for me. I found love!"

He stayed silent few seconds before turning his head abruptly to the dark shadow leaning against a tree. The Hokage had thought first that the presence he felt would have been an ANBU disobeying him and following him for his safety, he didn't expect it to be his former teacher. "Kakashi-sensei! What are you doing here so late?"

The gray haired man stepped forward in the moon's dim light. "I saw you jump fast at night on the rooftop outside the village before your wedding and I thought you were running away," Kakashi teased.

Naruto lifted an incredulous eyebrow at the excuse. "Why would I run away from Sakura? You do know how many years I ran after her..."

Kakashi laughed and patted the blond shoulder seeing his expression. "I know. I was joking! It was just the perfect moment to meet you alone. It's incredible how surrounded you are. You really are popular!" Kakashi came crouching near Naruto and glanced at the tomb of his late teacher before looking at his former student with a smile. "I wanted to give you two a little something special."

The gray-haired man pulled out of his pocket a small red box. Naruto's brow furrowed tried to guess what was inside. "Kakashi-sensei... I already have our wedding rings."

Kakashi didn't know if he wanted to cry or burst out laughing. _Was the village really safe in Naruto's hand?_ "It's not rings!" The gray-haired ninja said.

The older man opened the box and revealed two bells connected by two red threads knotted together at the top. Naruto smiled touched by the kindness. The gift was perfect. It was such a good reminder of their bond. If they hadn't managed to pass the teammate test, the story would have been completely different. Their fates had been connected by this test somehow.

Kakashi continued his explanation. "It was your father, who taught me this test and I wanted to give them to you for a long time as you were my only students... It's the best opportunity to do it."

Naruto accepted the box and thanked him. Kakashi patted again Naruto shoulder and placed a sly comment before leaving. "Go rest! It will be a shame if you can't honor your bride tomorrow night just because you are too tired..."


	30. Chapter 30

**CHAPTER CORRECTED THANKS TO JEDIMISTRESS FOR BETA READING IT**

 _Aqua Rules: Thank you! I think that Kakashi have this kind of comment with Naruto as in the manga Naruto have offer him the last Icha Icha paradise... They both are pervert ;) they can understand each other. Chap 28/It is time for Sakura to begin to change her behavior toward her futur husband. ;)_

 _Ultranx: thank you!_

 _Troa95: Myü is the little girl who was always stuck to him and asked him to marry her in the chapter with the river. So, it's normal to feel sad and betrayed like children can be, not understanding that the person she like prefer big girl. For the grandmother, her grand daugter marrying the Hokage is surely something. The Hokage position is the highest in the shinobi world, and egal to the one of the Damyo. So it is praiseworthy. From an external point of view, the grand mother do not live with them, she never appeared in the manga. So what she see is her grand daughter marrying the best catch possible. The bell part with kakashi was inspired from the movie where Kakashi is in danger and gave to Naruto to repair the bells. And for your question: Is it the end? For you it will not be the end even if the reader want the story to end at the wedding. I will give it all, and even the sequel if I write it one day._

 _TheReader234: Thank you! I love working on feelings. I am bad at writing action scene, but I love to analyze what people feel in different situations. So I am happy that I manage to transmit it._

 _Illuminated: It will be a very good idea for a crack fic, but sorry not in this one. Thank you for your support!_

 _EdkingV: Thank you very much! I imagine Naruto very caring and I am sure he would feel guilty, if something happened because of him. Naruto is also a loner, so he don't know how to share his pain... I hope you will continue to like the story_

 _Guest: Thank you! Last preparation for the wedding._

 _LaDraig: Thank you! All my chapter are about 3K words long, more or less. Except one or two that do not follow the rule. Hope you will like the chapter anyway even if it is short (shorter than average)._

 _Sagar hussain: I don't know if you followed the story to this point. But still thank you for your comment chap 15 and 21_

 _Touken:Thank you very much! The wedding will come soon and for the after wedding, it will depend if my public want it (I have it ready in case of)_

 _K: Thank you! I am happy that you like it!_

 ** _NEW NARUSAKU STORY PUBLISHED: All over again!_**

 **CHAP 30**

The sun was barely up when an over-energetic Ino barged into Sakura's room, pulling the leg of the future bride to wake her up. The said girl emerged from her bed, hair looking like a bird's nest after a full night of tossing and turning around and around without finding sleep. The night had been restless, filled with anxious excitement, and Sakura hadn't slept more than thirty minutes.

Eyes half closed, the pinkette found herself pushed out of her room. The sexy blonde lead her to the kitchen where her mother and her grandmother were already waiting for her, breakfast ready. She got pushed down, still groggy, on the chair and got the beginning of an headache under the severe berating of her grandmother about how unbecoming the maidens nowadays were on their wedding day.

Sakura tried to reason with the older woman that it was too early to be stressed like they were. Her mother force-fed her the moment she opened her mouth to talk. The pinkette coughed to clear her lungs as some grains of rice decided to take the wrong turn the moment she swallowed. She had had enough! The day had just started and they were already making it a living hell! The bride stood up abruptly screaming at them to stop.

Her grandmother stayed unfazed by the kunoichi's bad temper. The grumpy old woman had given birth to and raised seven children, she had survived four wars and was still here to see her last granddaughter get married. Back distorted by her long life, the unnaturally small woman stepped closer to the screaming pinkette. With the dexterity close to the most skilled sword user, she made swung her walking stick in the air and hit Sakura violently on the head.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that, young lady! Has my daughter-in-law taught you nothing?"

Sakura's mother sent a death glare to her husband's mother. Even after twenty two years of marriage, the old hag was still complaining about every single thing. "Don't hit my girl!" hissed Mebuki menacingly.

Her mother-in-law looked up and down at the obvious challenge at her authority. "We have no time to discuss this. The kid can heal herself if needed... It doesn't matter! We have to prepare her for her wedding with the Hokage!"

The voice was firm, allowing no space for any argument. The old woman grabbed the pinkette's wrist with an iron grip and pulled her along with her through the house while giving orders to her daughter-in-law to prepare all the necessary items for a 'big' cleaning.

From the moment she got thrown into the bathroom with excessive force by what looked like an inoffensive, frail, old woman, Sakura understood that she wasn't the only member of the family to have monstrous strength. Saying that her granny was scary was an understatement. Sakura had fearlessly faced many opponents in her life, but she wouldn't have dared disobeyed the Haruno matriarch when the old woman, like an impressive general, commanded her to strip.

"I can wash by myself, I am not a kid..." pleaded the future bride.

The wrinkled face rotated on her neck to glare at the defiant girl who dared reply to her order. The glare was enough to make Sakura obey in a second. On a scale from one to ten, the old woman easily reached twelve in terms of scary glare.

Once completely naked, the old woman scrutinized her from head to toe with a disapproving look. "You sure didn't take after me..." she commented, eyes locked on Sakura breasts. The pinkette was on the verge of exploding, feeling a vein on her temple starting to throb dangerously. "Will you even be able to feed your kids with so little?" continued the old woman while starting to fill up the bathtub.

It was too much. Sakura exploded and broke the sink with a punch. "That's enou..." Sakura got stopped mid sentence as she received a spray of cold water in the face.

"You are one thousand years too young to talk back to me, kid!" With a swift move the grand-mother used her walking stick to cut the feet out from under the pinkette, making her fall on her butt. "Now stay still while I make you presentable for your husband!"

Sakura got scrubbed until all of her skin was red. How can a old person like her grandma could be so ferocious? The bride-to-be didn't think that even a inch of her body had been forgotten the moment the old hag released her and ordered her to soak in the bath. The young woman exhaled, relieved when she could relax a little in peace as her grandmother finally left her.

The pinkette could hear the heated voices of an argument breaking again between her mother and her grandmother. It wasn't for nothing that her grandma never visited them. As far as she could remember, the two women had always fought. Sakura wondered for an instant. How would things have gone if Naruto's mother was still alive? What type of woman was Naruto's mother? Would his mother have approved of her ? Head half immersed in the warm water, her musing stopped the second the perpetrator entered again with a bunch of boxes in her hands.

"We don't have time for you to get sleepy in your bath... Get out!" barked the old woman. Reacting on instinct at the authoritarian woman, the grand-daughter jumped out of the bathtub. The woman threw a towel at her face with the command, "Dry yourself!"

As soon as the young woman was perfectly dry, the scrawny old woman made her sit on a stool and landed a reproachful glare at her grand-daughter. "You didn't take care of your hair! How can you present yourself to your husband tonight like that!?" scolded the furious senior, pointing an accusing finger in direction of her private parts.

Sakura discovered some new shades of red under her grandma's berating, mostly about what she was getting scolded for. "I-I'm sure Naruto doesn't care!" Sakura defended herself, stammering. The pinkette tried in vain to argue, the words lost in front of the narrow glare her grandmother gave her.

"Don't bring shame on the Haruno name! You are to marry the Hokage... be serious!" reprimanded the white-haired woman.

What came next would be engraved in Sakura's memory as one of the utmost torturous techniques of all time. The bony hand applied a warm wax without waiting for her approval and Sakura froze instantly. What the heck was happening? Her intimacy had always been something very very private and, she had discovered with Naruto, very sensitive. To have this place invaded so forcefully by her grandmother was too much.

"AAArrrrGGhhhh!" Screamed the pinkette as the old woman pulled on the wax band the next instant. "Stop it Granny! Stop! For god sake! That hurts!"

The Haruno elder hit her on the head with her walking stick. "Are you really a warrior to whine like that? This is not pain! Wait a minute to give birth before complaining over so little!"

On the other side of the door, Mebuki sighed with compassion for her daughter's mistreatment. Her mother-in-law was efficient, but not known to be very gentle.

Mebuki welcomed her daughter in a soothing embrace when she stepped out of the bathroom. The Haruno matriarch passed by them looking reproachful. "That's why I said having an only child was a bad idea... Look how you've spoiled her rotten! She talks back! She gets angry for nothing! And she cries over the tiniest bit of pain! It's a miracle that she found a husband!"

Mother and daughter stared with murderous intent at the limping woman. Ino chuckled uncomfortably. _We may be having a wedding and a funeral today._

The blond girl came with as much cheerfulness that Sakura's murderous mood allowed and offered to help her dress. Sakura followed her into her room and the three women began to fuss around the future bride. They placed different layers of the complicated garment on Sakura. As she tightened the obi, the matriarch took care to make the traditional knot for the occasion. After the clothes came the make-up and the hair dressing. It was so foreign to be so pampered. Sakura had never in her life used even a lip stick, and now she was feeling like a princess.

XXXX

Naruto had just gotten the time to get a bath and a light breakfast that Momoe, his housekeeper, had prepared for him, before his first guests started to arrive. As promised, Iruka was there to help him get dressed, but what the groom didn't expect was that many more people would show up as "friendship support", as Kiba had told him while entering his room.

Now, two hours later, his room had turned into a battlefield. Tsunade and Iruka were turning him around to help him put on his kimono while Shikamaru was making him recite his vows again to be sure the blond man had memorized them. Sai was drawing the scene, Choji was eating some snacks and Lee was chanting, "That's the power of youth!"

Momoe entered the room with more refreshments and snacks, attracting Choji and Kiba's attention. Akamaru yelped as Masato, Momoe's son, pulled on the fluffy tail of the big dog. In a corner of the room, Kakashi was reading his book and chuckling from time to time at the mess around him while Shino stood discreetly, secretly sulking that nobody noted his presence again. For a person with no direct relatives alive, Naruto was far from lonely on his big day.

As the groom got ready, his friends left first, leaving him alone with Shikamaru as his best man to accompany him to the shrine. The blond man breathed deeply. It was time to go. A confident smile grazed his lips. He had waited all of his life for this moment. It was a dream nearly as old as becoming Hokage and in some way, it had appeared to him even more inaccessible. Naruto folded the note with his vows and hid it in his pocket. The Nara heir double checked to have the box with the rings and both of the men left the house.

As they arrived near the Fire Temple, Naruto was surprised at the huge crowd of people surrounding the area. It seemed the whole village had come to have a glimpse of the Hokage and his bride. Many jounin restrained the boldest that tried to touch their beloved blond leader. Naruto climbed the stairs and waved at his people. The temple entrance was restricted to only the guests, but even like that, the place was packed to the fullest.

As he stepped inside, Naruto shook hundreds of hands as he advanced painfully slowly toward the altar while Shikamaru went to the priest to give him the rings. Naruto stopped stunned in one of the alleys, recognizing the familiar figure of his best friend.

"Sasuke!" cheerfully called the blond ninja taking a step toward his best friend. Naruto shook hands with the former rogue ninja and immediately greeted his wife. The young Uchiha Kazuhito wiggled in his mother's arms when he saw his 'oncle' Naruto smile.

Naruto turned immediately to Sasuke. "I'm so glad you came! What a surprise!" blabbered the blond enthusiastically .

The former rogue ninja snorted. "You could have guessed that I would come to your wedding... I should remind you that you sent a team of ANBU after me to give me the invitation," acidly remarked the dark-haired man.

Naruto chuckled uncomfortably. "I may have gone overboard with that... but you didn't come back to the village for months, and it was the most efficient way to contact you," the blond defended himself, passing his hand behind his head in his usual embarrassed gesture.

Sasuke lifted a questioning eyebrow. "Of course, I would have come back for it- and there was no need to send a team, it isn't like your wedding was a secret. Should I remind you that my job is mostly to gather information?"

Naruto pouted, crossing his arms over his chest. "You should have told me sooner, you would have been my best man!" complained the blond.

Sasuke smirked, "and stealing all your bride's attention from you?" mocked the former rogue, too tempted to tease his naive friend in a quest for their eternal rivalry.

Naruto blanched at the blow, leaving him speechless. The young child waved his arms toward the blond, wanting to be carried by him.

"Not now Kazuhito. Oncle Naruto can't have you spit your milk on him," the mother said affectionately to her baby while cleaning his drool.

Naruto glanced at the baby and with a foxy smile replied to his best friend, "Anyways, you should come to the village more often or your son will think of me more as his dad than you." The blond extended his hand toward the toddler and the child grabbed playfully the offered fingers while giggling happily.

The two men glanced at each other with defiance and Shikamaru came to intervene before their little game turned sour. "Naruto, you should come to the altar. Someone informed me that Sakura will arrive soon," whispered the strategist.

XXXX

 _ **Note** : Naruto and Sakura are dressed traditionally as in the manga, Naruto get married in traditional clothes (but to the wrong person). So I made it to be inspired from a Shinto wedding, but as I love the grandiose entrance of the bride from Christian culture, their wedding is actually a mix of both. Sorry to not have respected fully the Shinto wedding and to bring such improper changes to a formal ritual._

 _ **We are arriving at a turning point in the story, the wedding. So if you want the story to continue, say it... otherwise I can turn the next chapter in a proper ending. The next contain very little adventure (I'm bad at it), it is mostly the unfolding of their married life and a tone of fluffy NaruSaku moment.**_

 _ **SO REVIEW TO TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT! END IT OR CONTINU?**_


	31. Chapter 31

**CHAPTER CORRECTED THANKS TO JEDIMISTRESS FOR BETA READING IT**

 _KellytheKid:try to kidnap Sakura and Naruto kill you on the spot... try to do the same with Naruto... you have nothing left, Sakura would pound her fist to the kidnapper face until she's nothing more than dust. lol Good idea! it would have been fun. Thank you!  
_

 _AquaRules: Yeah I like to imagine Sasuke and Naruto having this friendly rivalry pushing them to have some nasty exchange with each other sometime. I laugh myself at Sakura grandma, imagining the old woman. Thank you to be here!_

 _thelostman88:thank you! the show will go on!_

 _Jaenera Targaryen: don't talk about the last, I still have nightmare about it lol_

 _ultranx: thank you_

 _burt: thank you! hope you will like the wedding_

 _RigbyDaSon: thank you! women have to suffer to be beautiful._

 _2000: thank you! so we will begin the last 1/4 of the story now_

 _Naru285: thank you! hope the wedding will be up to your expectation_

 _Guest: I can't watch the new episode... I just want to vomit. We're here to correct this mistake and make Narusaku live an happy life!_

 _Guest: indeed: the wedding is a good turning point to end it, that's why I offered to end it here. I don't have any confilt in mind except some small event here and there. mostly some fluffy piece of their married life. The sequel of this story is something else (that I is not written yet, maybe will never be). However, a reader that is dear to me encouraged me to continue, so the show will go on. But don't expect any fancy action or adventure from me... sorry_

 _Guest: it is an interesting question. If I ever write a story with kazuku, i promise I will use your suggestion_

 _crazyprankster1991:thank you! you will have more_

 _guest: thanks!_

 _sagar hussain: thank you!_

 _TheReader234: I love Sakura's grandmother too! I'm happy that you had some fun with those moment. thank you!_

 _illuminated:Sakura heal herself after sex (mentioned it with her saying Naruto that she will erase the love bite, once he marked her at the last lemon chapter). It could have been funny for Kurama to intervene, but I didn't though about this idea. it's however a great idea that I will keep in mind for future project. Thank you!_

 _Troa95: Thank you! I know! I know! Naruto would be such a great husband. I completely agree with you. So after this chapter, we enter the story of their married life ;)_

 _BigJtheclown: thank you! don't die yet! i hope to see you again!_

 _The Great Unknow89: I am happy to make you smile with my story. I hope it will continue to please you. Thank you!_

 _Guest: yes, 30 chapter is already quite the amount, but it is only 3/4 of the story. A friend (reader) encouraged me, so I will just continue for those that support me. Thank you for your opinion. I will keep it in mind while writing other stories that reader lose interest after 30 chapter._

 **CHAP 31**

Naruto fidgeted on the altar, his palms getting sweatier by the minute. Shikamaru had told him that Sakura was arriving soon, but soon was a different concept for him than his advisor, unless the man had tricked him again into moving the way he wanted.

Naruto glanced at the morose face of the priest behind him and smiled at him tentatively. His face retained the same expression, giving a cold shower to the excited ninja. The blond passed from one foot to the other while looking apprehensively to the door at the end of the aisle. Waiting had never been his forte and certainly never would be. Shikamaru nudged his side with his elbow and reminded him that he should behave, as all the highest ranking people of the five great nations were gathered here. His blue eyes caught Tsunade's frowning gaze. The stare was eloquent, worth more than a thousand words, making Naruto straighten up and adopt the perfect posture for a leader.

The cheering outside attracted the blond's attention and his smile broadened as he guessed the reason of the uproar. Soon after, the light music started signaling the bride's imminent entrance. A jolt of excitement passed through his spine, his eyes locked on the end of the aisle. The huge wooden door opened slowly in all its solemnity. Sakura appeared, a dream within a dream. Glowing from an ethereal light surrounding her, his bride was standing in the huge frame of the door, elegantly holding her father's arm. She was bewitching in her splendorous white kimono. The delicate gold thread of the embroidery at the bottom was catching the light, making the garment sparkle in a mystical way. She walked toward him, graceful and dazzling. The exquisite pink petals on the silky material danced around her with each refined, small step. Naruto forgot how to breathe. His heart stopped. The world disappeared.

Sakura's anxiety increased as she climbed down from the carriage and realized that the whole village had gathered here. She accepted her father's hand, searching for some stability in his familiar presence as she walked carefully, trying not to fall on the unusual garment that restricted her movement. Her heartbeat increased with each step as the pinkette climbed the stairs with the cheering of the crowd. The world began to spin, and she tightened her grip on her father's arm. She couldn't let herself faint in front of everyone on her wedding day.

The big door pivoted on its axis in a drawn-out motion, but Sakura saw nothing of the extravagant flowers adorning the inside of the temple, nor the thousand of candles lighting the space covering everything from the floor to the ceiling. Her gaze simply fell in the cerulean blue eyes waiting for her near the altar.

The second their eyes met, her body stopped shaking like a leaf in the wind. By his side, she was never afraid. Her feet moved forward full of calm assurance. Her eyes locked on him, she was able to set aside all her surroundings. There was just him. Him and his loving smile.

Naruto's mouth went dry as she walked in the aisle. The elegant kimono was giving her an ethereal appearance with the soft material floating at each of her steps. She was a breeze of spring in this autumnal weather. His feet were rooted to the floor, petrified by the vision of the woman he loved more than life itself. There wasn't a day in his life that he didn't find her beautiful, but today he didn't have the words to describe how astonishingly splendorous she was.

Murmurs and gasps of appreciation followed her small steps in the aisle. But she didn't hear anything, nor could she recognize any face in the sea of guests. Her eyes focused on him only. His smile continued to grow wider as the bride approached. For him, the whole temple glowed the moment his fiancée entered and a whirlpool a pink petals danced around her as Sakura moved gracefully. If she was a genjutsu, he didn't want to cast it off. She had captured his heart years ago and he would never release the spell.

Her father gave Naruto his daughter's hand and the blond man lightly squeezed the delicate fingers to be sure that she was real. His heart burst with joy and Sakura got intoxicated by his beaming face. How she had fallen so hard in love was beyond comprehension, but she was sure that she had discovered the real meaning of love with him. Love was to share. Love was to care. Love was him, in his embrace, in his smile, in all his being that he gave her without hesitation.

Sakura blushed, smiling back as she returned the squeeze on his larger hand, feeling his warmth spread in her heart. Time didn't seem to matter anymore and they stayed hypnotized by each other until the stern priest cleared his throat to bring them back to reality. They both shyly spun around to face the monk and took position on the altar. The priest gave Naruto a disapproving look; the young man wasn't acting enough like a dignified Hokage but more like a lovestruck teenager. Was this man really the most powerful ninja in all the Fire country? Naruto composed a more regal attitude at the frowning priest. He would not make a fool of himself on this important day. He wanted Sakura to be proud of him.

The monk softened at the arrival of the two Miko* who came for the purification ritual. The two gracious women grazed the tree ramification on the head of the bride and the groom before taking a step backward to let the priest make the ritual prayer. With an ostentatious voice the old monk started to announce the marriage to the deities, then he began a long, monotonous monologue to seek the blessing and protection for the couple. If he wasn't the groom himself, Naruto was sure to have fallen asleep by the time the old man had finished the pompous litanies to invoke all the celestial gods from earth, heaven and who knew where else. The blond glanced discreetly at his bride, enjoying the sight of her beauty, but his attention went back to the priest and the Miko the moment they offered the food and sake to the benevolent spirits of the temple.

Then, the priest announced the san-san-ku-do* ceremony and the Miko presented the first cup of sake to Naruto. The groom respectfully took the smallest cup and drank from it in three times like the tradition required before offering it to his bride. The religious maiden poured the sake for Sakura into the second cup who drank it in three sips before she returned the cup to her husband to be. Naruto accepted the cup, letting his fingers brush hers as a small blush adorned her face at the stealthy contact. Finally, the Miko poured the last cup of sake for the young Hokage to drink it again in three sips. Blue eyes melted in the green gaze while Naruto passed the cup to his bride and she broke the contact with his eyes only when she drank the sacred rice wine after him, concluding the ritual representative of sharing joys and sorrows as a married couple.

Then the two maidens performed an ancient dance as an offering to the gods, the graceful step of the dancer and the light music giving the scene a mystical aura. The two woman jumped from side to side in exquisite choreography, captivating the eyes of the guests. The priest stood sternly in front of the couple and invited Naruto to read his vow once the performance finished. The blond recited his vows very solemnly and Sakura completed them with her own. It was an intense moment for them and Sakura knew very well, as with all his commitments, that Naruto would hold them dear with his life. None of the words he pronounced were vain promise. Until death do us part...

The priest offered to the gods a branch of sasaki, the couple followed his gesture with their offering that the Miko presented them. The clap of their hands resonated in the whole temple as breaking the silence that had overcome the assembly in respect for the sacred ritual. Iruka stepped in, moved to tears to have been chosen to represent the father figure in Naruto's life, and made his offering to the gods as well. In his heart, the teacher prayed for the blond boy to have a blessed union and a happy life with his bride. Naruto smiled at him once the dark-haired man left the altar to stand at his right side. Sakura's father was no less emotional than the school teacher as he left his offering, expressing all his gratitude to the spirits for the blessed the union of his only child before going to the left side of his daughter.

The Miko approached the priest with the rings attached with a golden link on a red cushion. The old monk reverently took hold of it and presented them to the groom. Carefully, the young Hokage untied them and choose the smallest of the two. With a delicacy he reserved for her only, the blond slipped the ring on her finger. Her heart pounded as Naruto passed the symbol of love on her, his gentleness overwhelming. Sakura bit her lips to prevent her tears from falling. She couldn't ruin her make up, but it was so hard not to do so with him smiling like that at her.

Her hands shook slightly when she took hold of the cold and shining metal ring. Her eyes went to focus on her task as she tried to get a grip on her emotions. Sakura slipped the golden ring on his finger, making him officially, in the eyes of everyone, her husband. She looked up with her glassy eyes to meet the face of the man she swore to love all her life and this idiot did the stupidest thing ever. He surprised her by kissing her forehead tenderly. Now her make-up was officially wasted as some tears escaped treacherously from her eyes at Naruto's cute attention. The pinkette tried to stop the damage, clenching her eyelids as her mischievous husband intertwined his fingers with hers to make her task even more difficult.

Sakura's parents with Naruto's parent figure exchanged the sacred wine and the priest finished the ceremony with a final prayer to the gods. As unnoticeably as possible, Ino came to fix the make-up of her best friend before anyone approached the couple. Soon after, the guests came one after the other to congratulate the spouses and bow in front of the altar. The first allowed were the highest dignitaries; the Daimyo himself came to the wedding of the man called the Savior, soon followed by the other Kages of the biggest nations and other big representatives of other countries.

The interactions got less and less formal as more familiar faces showed up in front of the couple. Gaara greeted the spouses with Kankuro and Temari. The blond sand kunoichi didn't miss the chance to glance at the shadow behind the Hokage. Shikamaru began to sweat at the clear message in the blue eyes of his girlfriend. _I'm good for a long talk on the pillow tonight, so troublesome..._

Killer B fist bumped with Sakura and Naruto before singing some lyrics to his jinchuriki friend, "Your wife is cool! You're not a fool! Yeah!"

The blond man smiled happy that his friend approved of his wife. After that, Sakura showed a tense smile, tightly holding the hand of her husband as her grand-mother stood in front of her with a stern face. Naruto warmly greeted the Haruno matriarch calling her immediately, "Baa-chan".

Sakura expected Naruto to receive a violent blow on the head with the infamous walking stick for his audacity and his informal way of speaking, but Sakura's jaw dropped as her severe grand-mother turned into a sweet old lady under Naruto's magical smile. With a smiling wrinkled face, the old woman pinched the whiskered cheek in a endearing gesture, "Good boy!" she called him before patting his hips apparently innocently.

Her elder swirled around to her the next second and gestured her to bend at her level. A little curious at the change of attitude, Sakura obeyed and blushed at her grandmother's next words.

"He has a firm body... You will soon bring me my great-grand children with a man like him," the old woman whispered with a hint of conspiracy in her tone.

Parents, friends, nobles, the flow of people ensued with their greetings to the newlyweds. In the middle of them, the familiar face of the Uchiha clan head came to give his blessing to his two best friends and teammates. Sasuke shook the groom's hand and got too tempted to taunt Naruto's easy jealousy. The dark-haired ninja passed afterward to Sakura, glancing discreetly at the blond's reaction.

"You are beautiful Sakura!" Sasuke complimented her not so subtly, intending the comment to be heard by the fuming blond. What he forgot was that his own wife was as short tempered as his best friend, certainly another distinctively Uzumaki attribute.

Shikamaru stopped the two Uzumaki descendents with his jutsu, avoiding a scandal for the second time that day. The strategist didn't much like the former rogue ninja and his little game was starting to become really troublesome.

"Naruto! Don't you see he is pulling your leg? Calm down now!" whispered the Nara heir.

The blond Hokage frowned but listened to his advisor. Karin melted, completely forgetting the incident as Sasuke placed a nonchalant hand on her waist to lead her away and let other guests greet the couple.

Sakura glanced at her bitter husband and chuckled at his possessiveness. She tugged on his hand to attract his attention. "There is no reason to be jealous over a simple compliment, he was just trying to be nice... there's at least hundred other people that told me the same thing today, it is just basic politeness."

Naruto pouted. He wanted to argue with her that Sasuke wasn't a man of courteous manner and that it was just a plain provocation. The groom wanted to complain that his wife was still defending the bastard, but didn't get the time as other clan heads popped up in front of him with cheerful enthusiasm, Kiba being the noisiest of them all.

After few minutes of a constant succession of faces, the incident was forgotten. But it was Sakura's turn to face an uncomfortable situation as the Hyuuga heiress came with her husband to greet them. Nothing in the calm demeanor of the black-haired beauty could have been improper. Hinata was the perfect lady, all her movements speaking for her high social status. The refined bow she offered them was as enthralling as a gracious dance. Nothing betrayed her agony over the wedding of the man she loved, except that Sakura didn't need a byakyugan to read Hinata's heart.

The way the white eyed woman looked at Naruto was enough for Sakura to know what was happening in the other woman's head, and unfortunately her usually dense husband had decided just now to understand the silent meaning of that look, too. Naruto was so easy to read and his expression morphed into a form of guiltiness. The Hyuuga heiress took her leave wishing happiness to the couple as Sakura lightly squeezed her husband's hand to show her support. The blue-eyed gaze drifted instinctively to their joined hands and he squeezed the pale fingers of his wife back. There was nothing that could be done and that was the most frustrating part for him- not being able to help someone he held dear.

The last of their guests finally left the temple and the couple exited the premises to climb into a carriage for their wedding photos before the party later. As the coach started to move, Sakura felt troubled at Naruto's unusual silence. His gaze was absently looking at the scenery, his face closed like the door of his darkest secrets. The paralyzing silence was heavy, stifling like a ball of emotion stuck in the middle of her throat. Awkwardly she extended her arm to touch his hand resting on his thigh. She stopped, curling her finger in hesitation, suspending her movement before reaching him. Why was he suddenly so sullen when he had been so cheerful all throughout the ceremony? Was it because of Hinata? Sakura retreated her hand, shying away, not able to face him.

After a careful perusal of his immobile profile, the young woman concluded that, as usual, Naruto was carrying by himself all the things that were troubling him. She was his wife now, he didn't have to endure everything alone. Strengthened by her new resolve, Sakura repeated her movement until the moment her fingers brushed his skin. The blond jolted in surprise, not expecting the contact. He realized at that instant that he had been lost in his own thoughts and felt sorry seeing the worried look on his wife's face. Naruto immediately plastered a grin on his face and felt suddenly awkward as she gently squeezed his hand.

"Naruto... talk to me..." Sakura pleaded softly.

He chuckled uncomfortably, caught off guard. "Sorry... I was just lost in thought..."

Her husband waved his hand to discard her worries. She tightened her grip on his other hand and repeated her plea, her eyes searching for the truth in the depth of his blue eyes.

"Tell me..." she insisted gently.

His eyes broke the contact, not able to sustain the silent message in the green orbs. He never had been a man who shared his doubt and his pain. He had lived his life by himself, hiding his sorrow behind a clownish attitude, burying his feelings in the deepest part of his soul to endure all his pain. He never knew how to do otherwise, but she was here, looking at him with expectant eyes. He rubbed his neck and tried to alleviate the atmosphere.

"There isn't much.." Naruto began, hoping that he wouldn't have to show himself with all his weaknesses. But her other hand came to caress his cheek softly, making him face her. His wife was looking at him so endearingly that he forgot for a second what he was even thinking before. Instinctively his face leaned toward her to kiss her and she merely stopped him an inch away from her lips.

"Don't try to change the subject Naruto!" Sakura reprimanded him. Her eyes were now determined to know and she would give him no escape route.

The blond straightened back to his previous position and he returned to gaze at the scenery. "I... I was just wondering... I mean... Would you have been happier if you had married Sasuke?" Naruto confessed hesitantly, not daring to look at her.

Sakura gasped, flabbergasted, her eyes not leaving his face for even a second. _How could he think that?_ _Was all my love not clear enough?_ He was no second choice and she had to make him understand. The young woman tugged on his hand attracting his attention. The usually confident blue eyes seemed insecure, nearly anxious of her answer.

"I love you Naruto! You- for all that you are! Sasuke was a childish love. He was my fairytale. But with you it's different... I know you and all of you is real. You're an amazing man who is as important to me as the air I breathe! You can't be replaced by anyone." Sakura declared proudly, as her hand caressed his cheek. "You are my 'Baka' who is a fool enough to love me..." she joked letting her hand slide softly on his neck,"...and that I love so so deeply," the pinkette concluded sensually, pulling his neck toward her.

She planted a soft kiss on his lips, marking them with some red lipstick. She chuckled seeing him with the carmine color on his mouth and hastily excused herself, cleaning up the trace with her finger. He loved her so much, so much that it hurt. There was no word to express what he was feeling for her, so he just dived on her to kiss her again.

Shikamaru just face-palmed when the newly wed arrived fifteen minutes later at the place for the photos. Ino shrieked seeing the couple going down from the carriage. The sexy blond woman sent a dark glare toward Naruto, calling him an "Animal!" before pulling his bride by the wrist to redo her make-up. Naruto smiled innocently while Shikamaru offered him an handkerchief to erase some red lingering at the corner of his mouth.

XXXXX

* Miko: Shrine maiden

*san-san-kudo: literally 3-3-9, it's from the ritual of Shino wedding where the groom and the bride share 3 cup of sake of different size that they empty in three sips, so in total 9 sips. It represents the engagement to share everything as husband and wife, from what I have understand.


	32. Chapter 32

**CHAPTER CORRECTED THANKS TO SHADOWCHILD 423**

 _Jaenera Targaryen: I totally agree! Let's correct this mistake together... thanks for the review!_

 _guest: thank you_

 _LimJJ: maybe... maybe not ;) thank you_

 _TheReader234: thank you very much... I am much more a emotion focus than a action focus in general.I am glad that you like it._

 _guest: some are short, some longer... but the most important is the cuteness XD thank you!_

 _Naru285: Naruto got carried away *innocent* thank you_

 _ultranx: thank you_

 _Dieinhappiness: I'm glad that you liked it! thank you_

 _TimothyB: Thank you! I hope you will continue to like it!_

 _xblackxhunterx: I will try to put more action in my new story, it is a skill that I unfortunetly do not posses... but I will try a little at least. I hope you will continue to like this story. Thank you!_

 _Troa95: How can he not be a little... He got married really fast and until very recently, he thought that Sakura was only in love with Sasuke. So it is I think normal that he though being a second choice for her. For the ceremony, it is just inspired from the Shinto wedding.. but I didn't follow everything. I arranged it at my manner for the flow and esthetic. So all is not perfectly factual. Hinata... She will never completly overcome her love for Naruto (Sasuke was a bastard to Sakura... But Naruto had always been kind to Hinata... it is harder to forget someone that have always treat you well). Sakura grand mother is delightful, she know how to reconize a good man ;)_

 _AhadBheda: Thank you! I don't know if you arrived to this chapter. I hope you enjoyed the story and will continue to enjoy it._

 _kem194: Narusaku are just so born to be cute together! this is all the power of the NaruSaku! (i am a fervent Narusaku fighter) Thank you! and I hope you will continue to enjoy their cuteness!_

 _review lord: thank you for all the reviews so far. It is really a great great pleasure for me to know what you think chapter by chapter. Thank you for your kindness. I hope you arrive to here and keep enjoying the story!_

 **CHAP 32**

The wedding party passed in a blur. All in their minds swirled around like in a whirlpool, the grandiose festivity, the flowers and fire adorning all around the place, the laugh of their friends, the music and sake that had kept everything in a incessant movement.

Late at night, the newly wed couple left for their honeymoon. For this special occasion, Naruto got two days off, with Shikamaru in charge of the office in his absence. The young couple had a reservation in a luxury hot spring ryokan in a beautiful valley in the Fire country, easily accessible from Konoha.

The owner himself welcomed them with great joy as they left their carriage. He was greatly honored to have been chosen by the famous Hokage and happy for this unexpected publicity. He was sure that many couple would want to book in his hotel to follow the footstep of their beloved leader. The bald man displayed a courteous smile as he bowed reverently in front of the tall blond and his wife before inviting them inside.

Sakura and Naruto were offered the special honeymoon suite. A luxurious suite with a double room separated with paper rice sliding door and a tatami floor. Two nakai* entered before them, bringing in their small luggage. One woman lit some concealed lighting to give a cozy atmosphere to the first room, while the second took care of the bedroom. The couple followed the owner listening absentmindedly to his long rambling about all the facilities of the ryokan.

The entrance of their suite was connected with a snug living room with comfy cushions and a small table. Naruto noted the presence of a fruit basket, a sake bottle and two cup already prepared for them on the table. It was a nice though, however he was sure to not drink more sake as he wanted to remember his first night as a husband. He didn't want to experience another oblivion for such an important moment in his life. His drunken state at his eighteenth birthday had only led him to forget most of it and had fueled that night with erotics dreams.

The owner offered to prepare them a light meal and some tea, but Sakura refused. She was exhausted by her long day and the only think she wanted was sleeping. The chubby little man smiled knowingly interpreting the refusal for a need of privacy. He immediately showed them their second room where the two graceful lady opened for them their bedding.

The nakai retreated discreetly and Naruto accompanied the owner at the door to have a word with him before the night. In the meantime, Sakura opened her luggage to pull out all the necessity to undo her make up. On a drawer cabinet was at display two yukata and she installed her small pouch nearby.

Naruto closed in a muffled sound the sliding door behind him. He stayed few second immobile looking at her, mesmerized by her delicate movements, while she was taking off the color covering her face. The gracile hand passed a cotton on her skin wiping out the white powder, then on her eyes erasing the darker line around them. Before she got the time to erase the colorful painting from her lips, Naruto surrounded her with his arms taking hold of her wrist to retain her movement.

His wife looked surprised at their reflection in the mirror, his gaze was fixing her with such a loving expression. Sakura felt his warm breath caressing her temple and the softness of his lips when they brushed her skin. Her heart skipped a beat at the sensation, electricity running wild on her skin at his contact. His other hand raised to her face and carefully directed her toward him. She fell. She drowned. She abandoned herself in the cerulean blue irises of her husband. His eyes roamed over her face with desire and adoration. Naruto approached her slowly hypnotizing her by the intensity of his devotion and he came tasting her lips. His tongue slid in between searching for his partner and the young woman broke the kiss before she completely lost herself.

"Naruto," Sakura breathed, "I am exhausted," she explained.

He look somewhat disappointed, pouting one second and finally his expression settled for a tender smile and he kissed chastely her cheek.

"As you wish. We have all our life together now." Naruto cheerfully accepted. "I'll help you out of your kimono," he offered retreating behind her back to untie the complicated knot of her obi.

Sakura chuckled seeing his perplex expression in the mirror. "I can ask a nakai to help me with it if you want," she suggested.

The blond glanced at her through the reflection, the determined blue eyes connecting with the green orbs. He kissed respectfully the nape of her neck exposed through the low cut of the back collar of her kimono.

"It is my privilege as your husband to do it!" Naruto purred sensually. She shivered at his enthralling contact, the sound of his manly voice reverberating under her skin, causing butterflies to awaken in her stomach instantly.

All his attention went back to focus on his task and his fingers pulled on the silky material. Her heart pounded wildly, her eyes stuck on his reflection. His gentle demeanor carried more than words his feeling for her and she felt touched by it. Naruto carefully unwrapped the obi from around her waist as if he was opening a precious and delicate gift. Once Sakura was freed from her belt, he stopped her from leaving by letting his warm palms rest on her shoulders. His eyes locked up with her again in the mirror image. His voice wasn't louder than a breath when he whispered in her ear.

"I'm not finished yet."

His hands slid along her arms and Naruto squeezed softly her fingers before abandoning them to turn around and face her. Her eyes lifted up to meet his gaze. Her breath shortened with the emotion bubbling inside her chest. Her husband offered her a tender smile pulling on the brooch which was holding her hair bun up. Her pink hair cascaded down slowly to her shoulder. He took between his fingers a pink lock and observed it for a while.

"Did I ever told you how much I love your hair?" Naruto questioned playfully and then he brought the cherished strand to his lips. She couldn't take her eyes of him, she was transfixed by him, by the pink curl on his desirable lips.

His fingers came to open the front of the first layer, taking all his time to push off her shoulders the expensive material. He enjoyed in his slowness to touch as much as he could her body. The blond accompanied the movement until the garment was completely out of her way and he carefully put it away on a chair nearby. Sakura let herself get undressed by his loving hands, her eyes never leaving his face while the silence stretched letting their heart be the music in their ears.

Patiently, he took away all the different layer until he arrived at a unique white linen left, the last barrier before her skin. Hesitantly, his fingers caressed the collar, brushing lightly the skin underneath at the opening. His blue eyes quickly glanced at the beginning of the white piece of lace still mostly hidden under the fabric. He bit his lips restraining a soft moan at the tempting sight. Before giving in his desire, he hugged her tightly, bringing her close to his heart.

"I have to stop now or I won't be able to control myself anymore," Naruto murmured with a voice trembling with restrained yearning. He released her and stepped backward lowering his gaze to calm down. He expected her to move away from him but instead his wife lifted her hand and detached the cord tying his haori in place. The blond looked at her surprised and she smiled innocently at him.

"It is my privilege as your wife to undress you."

He blushed, his excitation building up as she came closer to pass the vest over his large shoulder.

Some naughtiness shined in her eyes when she undid the knot holding his Hakama. Naruto smiled seductively not doing anything to stop the pants to fall at his feet. At that point Sakura was able to clearly see the blatant arousal deforming his kimono. His eyes passed from it to her gaze, as to assert that she noted the expression of his desire too. He knew that her next movement would decide the outcome of their night and he waited biting his lips with expectation. Her fingers started to open his kimono and it was the last signal he needed to move forward to enrapture her in a kiss.

The last piece of their outfit flew on the floor and Naruto lied her down on the mattress without breaking their hungry kiss. He was already so hard that the fabric of his boxer was stained with precum. Once more, he had to calm his all-mighty desire. How much a man could endure? He was at his limit now. Naruto breathed hard, desire flowing in his veins, driving him wild. He abandoned her lips to trail a series of hot kisses from her neck to her breast. With a great intensity, he sucked on her nipple through the lace while undoing her bra with his hands. He couldn't wait anymore.

Sakura wriggled underneath him at his ministration, her blood turning hot in her veins. Instinctively her hips started a swaying movement trying to rub against the bulge in his underwear. The all-consuming sensation in his crotch made him stop to look at her with a pain filled expression on his face. He wanted her so badly that it was hurting. His cheek were covered with a crimson color from all his excitement. He kissed her passionately, his tongue invading her mouth in a form of desperation before murmuring a imperative.

"I want you." He whispered, while his hands worked on pulling down her panties. She responded to him by kissing back with the same fervor, one hand pulling on his hair, the other one pushing down his boxer.

The blond renewed his motivation to finish to take off her undergarments and this was when he saw it. Not a single hair on it. Nothing. A jolt of excitation passed through his whole body making his cock to swell even more and caused his nose to bleed.

"Aaahh Sakura! You're killing me!" Naruto yelled cleaning the blood running from his nostrils.

Sakura giggled at his reaction. It have been worth the pain, she thought. However the surprise passed quickly and at, a lightning speed, her husband dived face first between her legs and she experienced another form of madness as the blond assaulted her with a brain-washing fervor. It was decided; she wouldn't be sleeping on her wedding night.

XXXX

Unexpectedly early, someone scratched at the door pulling her out of her slumber. At the beginning Sakura thought she had dreamed it, but the sound repeated itself another time, signaling the presence outside. The pinkette sighed. She was so comfortably nestled in Naruto's arms. _What a shame!_ She started to move to wriggle free from his tender hold, but her husband tightened his grip, pulling her closer to him instead.

"We don't have work today. Let's just sleep more." Naruto mumbled, eyes still closed to the world.

The scratching sound came back again and his wife argued with him that the room service must have bring them their breakfast. Naruto huffed opening his eyelids suddenly, jumping out of the bed the next second. He put hastily his yukata and walked briskly to the door offering a threatening glare at the staff.

"Hadn't I said that I wished to not be disturbed under any condition?" grunted the Hokage angrily.

The woman trembled from her bones to her hair and bowed greatly presenting an envelope to the young man.

"You have my deepest apology Hokage-sama! But You have a message from Nara-dono. He is waiting for you at the private lounge." Naruto took the paper, feeling slightly bad. He opened the paper swiftly.

 _Urgent!_ The entire message was in one word. Naruto frowned mumbling for himself that the lazy Nara could have at least explained in few words the matter at hand instead of just leaving him in the dark. Anyway, the subject must have been grave enough if Shikamaru have move until here by himself. Naruto glanced inside in the direction of Sakura. She was holding the cover up to hide her body from view. He frowned, unhappy to have to leave her on his honey-moon.

"Shikamaru came to see me. I have to go. I'll try to not be long." Naruto informed his wife. Sakura pouted slightly but nodded. Naruto sighed before following the woman in the corridor.

Naruto found Shikamaru near the window, face turned toward the peaceful garden. Some smoke escaped from his lips and he pulled immediately another breath on his cigarette, sign that the situation was more than just 'troublesome'. The strategist head spun at Naruto entrance and he hastily released the puff of smoke before greeting the Hokage. The blond crossed his arms in front of his chest, the face serious ready to receive the bad news.

"So what's so urgent?" growled Naruto bluntly.

Shikamaru abandoned his post near the window to give the Hokage a scroll. The young leader opened the document and began to read it while Shikamaru resumed the situation.

"The border had been under attack, two temple had been robed of old artifacts. With four Kages within our walls, the timing was perfect for them."

Naruto stopped reading to look up at his advisor. "Let me just tell Sakura, that I'm leaving." The blond requested, but the strategist shook his head, noting the look of regret on his friend's face.

"I didn't came to take you away from your wife on your honey-moon. For now, the situation is under control. I just came to inform you and to get your approval to send a team to investigate on the robbery. We will tighten the security around the village until the dignitary leaves. Actually your 'friend', Sasuke, offered to stay in the Hokage tower to personally protect Konoha in your stead."

The way Shikamaru spitted the word 'friend' showed how little affection he had for the former rogue ninja. But despite all that, the strategist recognized the complete loyalty of Sasuke toward Naruto and his capacity in term of power to defend the village. Naruto finished to read the scroll frowning while pondering on the fact at hand .

"I see, you have a plan for everything, as usual," commented the blond with a small smile as he rolled the scroll back up. The strategist smirked proudly.

"Go get some more of those marks! I don't want to make Sakura angry by keeping you away too long!" teased Shikamaru, pointing at a love bite on Naruto's collarbone. The blond quickly glanced down and blushed lightly while arranging his yukata to close more decently the folding.

"She would be more angry if I didn't do properly my job. I'm the Hokage, if I'm needed..." began the blond man, but Shikamaru patted his shoulder reassuringly.

"If you are needed, I'll send you someone. Now that I have your approval on the mission, we can manage without you." The strategist affirmed.


	33. Chapter 33

**CHAPTER CORRECTED THANKS TO SHADOWCHILD423**

 _ultranx: thank you to be here!_

 _guest:the honeymoon continue ;) thanks_

 _xblackxhunterx: indeed your idea is correct, it would be a big deal for Konoha. But even if the Kage are not here, there is still plenty of ninja to protect each village. It would be still difficult to do so. But I will let you discover the outcome of it ;) ... and about Sasuke, he is not really the friendly type. He don't search trouble especially (except with Naruto for fun), but I don't think that except Naruto and is exceptional forgiving nature, people would not trust him that easily. time will make it happend somehow... and for Naruto taking is job seriously, he just married a woman who will scold him if he didn't do so (sakura is not the type of girl who will let him be a fool. That's why he need her!) and yeah Shikamaru is Naruto shadow, the real brain here. :)_

 _kem194: the honeymoon is not finished.. I hope you will continue to enjoy it!_

 _DarkManta:Welcome! Welcome! Welcome to the wonderful world of NaruSaku! You will lose nothing with us... this pairing is full of fun, fluffyness and love. To take responsability, I can suggest you my other stories (Dangerous infiltration mission / All over again) or other wonderful author who will make you enjoy more of this couple. Welcome and big hugs! Thanks!_

 _Troa95: Naruto is so lovely... want a man like him to exist... for the robbery, the mysterie will be unfolded later... for now let's them enjoy more their honeymoon._

 _corydrake: thank you! For the grammar mistake, they are way lesser than at the original draft, thanks to my beta readers (but everyone have their own life, so they might not see everything). I am happy that you like the story. If you want, I have other stories (Dangerous infiltration mission / All over again). Please keep sharing with me you opinion about the chapters. Thank you!_

 _RedOctober01: thank you for your review! there is about 1/4 of the story left... and eventually one day I will write the sequel, if I get the courage to do so._

 _Dieinhappiness: thank you, I hope you will continue to like it... more moment together coming soon._

 _TheReader234: thank you, for now we are still at the honeymoon but the robbery will have outcome of it... ._

 ** _FOR THOSE WHO WANT MORE NARUSAKU STORY (same author):_**

 ** _\- Dangerous infiltration mission_**

 ** _\- All over again_**

 **Chap 33**

Naruto entered his room and he was surprised to find the bed empty. He looked around, knocked on the door of the bathroom and finally stepped outside in the small garden attached to their room from the window door in their lounge. A wooden wall surrounding the place was giving them total privacy in their little haven of peace. Some small green shrubs were planted all around in between patches of flowers. Step stones were leading from the door and stretching a path to a bench under a majestic maple tree, which had most of its leaves turning into flamboyant colors. The perfectly ordered garden gave a vibe of tranquility.

Since he didn't see her, Naruto walked slowly around the small rock wall on his right to have a look at the place behind it, a little curious of what he could find. He suddenly spotted Sakura resting in a small pool, and he clumsily apologized. The previous night he really didn't paid any attention of the blabbering of the owner about the room. He should have guessed that the 'Special Honeymoon' suite would have something in the taste of a private hot spring. Naruto began to retreat before his wife got angry at him for invading her bathing time. Even with all his fantasies involving Sakura and a hot spring he had since he was a teenager, he wouldn't dare to test her wrath. He had suggested it for sure, he asked her to come too. But she never accepted. The long told story about Pervy-sage and Baa-chan forever rang in his head as a warning to never go against the wishes of the woman who was now his wife.

The timid voice of the woman he loves froze him instantly. Naruto hesitated. Was he dreaming or did she just invite him to join her? With a carefulness similar to animal survival instinct, he cautiously glanced at the pinkette.

"You can come in if you want," she repeated shyly, lowering her gaze timidly.

As soon as the words left her mouth, she immersed herself more in the water, letting only her eyes and cheeks, pink from her boldness, visible. The blond gaped an instant, the information processing in his brain. _To hell self-preservation!_ In less time than a blink of eyes allowed it, Naruto abandoned his yukata on the stone wall and sat on a small stool with just a little towel on his lap to wash himself.

The blond emptied upon his head a bucket of water with a beaming smile. Rivulet of water splashed around while other ran wildly on his skin. Sakura observed fascinated some naughty drops sliding sensually, following the trail left by his moving muscles on his back. Her husband grabbed the soap, applying it generously on his arms and his chest, unaware of her scrupulous scrutiny. The pinkette plunged her head in the water to stop herself from staring but as soon as she emerged again, her eyes found back the object of all her interest. He was just unavoidable and her desire to touch him was undeniable.

With a false calmness, Sakura came out of the water and wrapped a towel around her form. Naruto pouted immediately, thinking that she had changed her mind and would leave him alone in the bath. His eyes followed her as she walked silently around him, he nearly protested as his wife passed behind his back and he bit his tongue when he felt her soft hand on his skin. The towel on his lap lifted itself in an automatic response at her contact. The pinkette had knelt behind him and she was sensually cleaning his shoulder. Feeling Naruto all tensed, she grew unsure of her actions.

"Shouldn't I help you wash your back as your wife?" Sakura asked shyly.

The blond nodded like a bobbling-head, accepting vigorously her offer. She giggled at his extreme reaction and gave a small peck on his neck as a reward earning from him a shiver for it. Reassured, the pinkette brushed his skin, enjoying the sensation of his well defined muscles.

Curious, the newly married woman glanced at Naruto's profile and smiled at the blushed spread from his cheek to his ears. He was always so receptive. More daringly, she passed her hand to his chest, pressing their upper bodies together. A drop of blood fell from his nose, landing on his white towel while her hand traveled on his smooth skin. Sakura lowered her gaze intuitively and noted the tent made with the small towel. She decided that she had to clean him everywhere. Naruto gasped as her fingers curled around his arousal and she started some stroking movements.

His sound was intoxicating and she wanted to pleasure him completely. So she let go of the his flesh and he called her name pleadingly. The half lidded blue eyes followed her as she walked around him and very gently rinsed him all over with some warm water. Naruto let her do as she pleased, but something like a predatorial instinct was oozing from his being. His eyes were full of lust, signaling her that he was ready to swoop on her. Naruto was breathing heavily to come back in control of his sense, his face keeping an excessive color from excitation. His wife discarded the white towel from his lap, revealing his member, purplish with desire, and knelt down in between his legs.

Naruto held his breath as her mouth approached his crotch and gripped the stool tightly to be sure to not push down her head when he would lost his control. Last time he got a little too excited, she had punched him as he had made her gag by pushing too far. Her soft lips kissed the top and the blond shivered in excitement.

This was a dream becoming true. God! He was so damn aroused that he wouldn't hold on long as she continued her sweet treat. A animal growl escaped his throat as the pleasure burned into his mind. Her lips, soft, gentle on his sensitive manhood. Naruto clenched his teeth restraining his hips to move forward in her mouth and she took him in by herself, engulfing nearly all his length down her throat. This is too much! He tried to stop her on time. His hand pushed her lightly away.

"Sa-Sakura I'm Aahhh- Cum- Aaah - Cuuming!" Naruto moaned to prevent her to be at the receiving end of his orgasm.

Instead of retreating, his wife sucked harder on his swelling member while massaging his balls. His heartbeat increased wildly under the pleasure and he lost it, all control gone in an instant. The intense wave of ecstasy made his body jerk and the white liquid surprised her by its thickness. She had never dared to go all the way until now but seeing his overwhelmed face, she was glad to give him that much.

Sakura felt very self-conscious and hastily retreated to the warm pool while her husband recovered. She observed him discreetly, enjoying the spectacle of his after-glow. His chest rising heavily, his lips partly open and his eyes still close to the world under the intensity of his sensation. It took him few more minutes to regain his composure. Calming finally his raging breath, one of his hand was still gripping the stool while the other one came ruffling his hair.

Naruto finally shot her a dazed look, a gleeful groggy smile adorning his face. The blond chuckled to himself. If this was the advantage of being married, he decided that he loved it. He wobbled slightly as he stood up to walk toward the pool. The water felt luke-warm compared to the arousal that had burned his body previously. Naruto came to sit near her in the water and wrapped his arms around her frame to bring her closer to him. He tenderly kissed her hair, murmuring a soft 'I love you' in her ear, his arms bringing her closer to his heart.

Sakura lifted her eyes to meet the loving blue pools of his gaze. Her heart skipped a beat. She found herself mute. Every moment that passed together, was another moment she fell deeper in love with him.

Slowly her husband bent his neck to kiss her softly on the lips, but she avoided him at the last second, mumbling shyly that she didn't rinse her mouth after his released. Naruto burst in a loud laugh and she would certainly have punched him if he didn't quickly stop her with a long, searing kiss. Her fist morphed in a fervid, hair clenching grip, having lost its original purpose. That day, Naruto discovered the trick to getting out of a beating from Sakura.

After a long-lasting mind numbing kiss, their mouth parted panting heavily.

"That would never stop me from kissing you, " His hand came to caress tenderly her cheek and he gave her a peck on her forehead. "Thank you Sakura... You make me so happy." She blushed at his confession so glad to make him feel this way. Then, the color of her face darkened at his next question.

"Do you have any fantasies you want to try?" her husband asked gently. Sakura didn't know how to react to that, so he figured he would explain the question. "You realized one of my oldest fantasies just now, and I was wondering if I couldn't give you the same favor..." Her face turned one shade redder as some naughty image popped in her head. She was close from a nose-bleed.

"Baka Naruto! What are you saying!" Sakura pushed away his head in embarrassment to stop his scrutiny. A churning feeling awaken in his guts disturbing the blissful moment together.

"Or maybe I'm not in your fantasies?" Naruto inquired suspiciously pouting a little to fake a joke.

Her instinct kicked in, something in her husband eyes had changed. She immediately rebutted his suggestion.

"You are!" the pinkette claimed and he looked at her expectantly, hoping that she would continue and prove his uneasiness wrong. She felt ashamed of her own perverseness and debated with herself which of her fantasies was the least deviant to tell him. Sakura glanced timidly at him. Naruto had loved her against all odds. He had loved her even when she had shunned him with her own blinded love for Sasuke. She should trust his love...

"Two of you..." she murmured, almost choking out the words in embarrasment. The blond froze a little, surprised, never having suspected these kind of things from her. A smile spread across his face, glad to be able to satisfy her so easily.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Using the signature cross hand seal, a clone appeared in a puff of smoke and the second Naruto came hugging his wife from behind.

"Like that?" the blond proudly asked for confirmation. His smile turned playful at her panicked expression seeing that her fantasy was for 'now' like 'now-now' and they went straight to business.

Naruto came to kiss her on the lips while his clone attacked her neck. Both Naruto got the same idea at the same moment and two tanned hand tried to fondle the same nipple. The original looked jealously at his copy.

"It is mine! Don't forget it or you disappear," the real Naruto threatened darkly. The other Naruto kept his cocky smile.

"I am you, so it's mine too! Don't forget that everything that I feel will be yours too."

The creator pondered a second.

"You can have the left one! I keep this one, I was first!" he begrudgingly accepted and soon enough the two Naruto found their paces to please their wife.

Sakura in the middle of them was lost in pleasure. Having one Naruto already drove her to near insanity, but two devoted husbands was completely mind blowing. They were everywhere. Their hands. Their tongues. Their lips. Their bodies encircling her. Not a inch of her was neglected. When one was kissing her and fondling her breast, the other was licking assiduously between her legs.

As if those orgasms weren't enough, the two identical blond continued to increase her unbearable pleasure when they alternatively penetrated her. The first had been pounding her from the front with an animal instinct while the second sucked on her nipple. Then the second took her nearly instantly from behind letting his creator recovering while lovingly kissing her. The two Naruto helped each other at trying new way to enter her to give her more pleasure. They were deadly efficient, overwhelming her with sensation and love.

Sakura was sure that the whole ryokan must have heard her, but she was unable to lower her voice as she moaned madly. Actually the pinkette couldn't care less as not a single cell of her brain could function properly. How could she? The man she had married was a demon! The most erotic demon on earth! Another blast of ecstasy drove all forms of shame from her, and she mewled his name, her body completely limp in his arms. He came again shortly after and kept her close to his heart the time to recover from his own dizziness.

A last peck on her lips and he carried her bridal style out of the water. His step wasn't as firm as usual, still light-headed from his previous orgasm, doubled by those of his disappearing clone. But he didn't want to let her stay any longer in the hot spring as Sakura was nearly passed out. Naruto moved her to their lounge and went to search for a towel to dry her. The pinkette was utterly limp, resting her head against his shoulder as he patted the spongy fabric on her skin. Her face was all pink and he found her so cute that he could certainly have gone hard again just at seeing her. However the blond preferred helping her into her yukata and let her rest a little on the cushion while he went to request their breakfast to be served.

In the blur of her fuzzy mind, Sakura saw her husband entering the room. She noted his state of dress, his yukata folded messily disclosing a large opening on his appetizing chest and the belt lousily tied enhancing his narrow hips. She sighed seeing the not so subtle bump bellow the belt. Folded like that, the yukata didn't hide much and her husband was completely unaware of it. He must have made most of the girls go wild with his natural generous size suggested underneath the fabric.

Naruto sat next to her and took her into his arms to have her rest against his chest. Sakura snuggled comfortably, inhaling the scent of his skin mixed with the soap. She didn't have the heart to berate him or get jealous at his little display.

The blond was lazily caressing her back, enjoying their embrace when someone knocked on the door. Sakura rearranged herself so as to not be in an improper posture in front of a stranger and Naruto pouted at the loss. He didn't care at all of what they looked like, they were on honeymoon after all. The Hokage invited the staff to enter with his loud voice and a petite woman brought in the different meals, installing them on the table in front of them in a careful manner. Sakura interrupted her before she left asking for her to prepare a tea and giving her the small herbal package. Naruto tried to not appear displeased, he had hope secretly that his wife would stop taking those birth-control tea once they would be married, but Sakura was may be not ready yet.

XXXX

 _It's always sad to see some of my readers disapearing. I hope I didn't disappoint you with my story._

 _Please, review to tell me if you like or what you don't like (A good critic review don't just say it's bad, it point out what the author could improve)_


	34. Chapter 34

**CHAPTER CORRECTED THANKS TO BLACKCURSE 11**

 _corydrake: thank you!.Two Naruto ahev always been quite the fantasy... I hope you will continue to like the story!_

 _TheReader234: the robbery affair continue. thank you!_

 _Guest: You're welcome to become a NaruSaku fan! NaruHina are cute but NaruSaku can be super cute too... STay with us! Thank you_

 _ultranx: thank you!_

 _Jaenera Targaryen: Thanks. Yes it is a M story and I really hope we are all adult here... XD_

 _Aqua Rules: Welcome back! I hope you liked those fantasies... thank you!_

 _The 7th demon of Razgriz: Thank you for your review. Happy to know you're still here. I hope all is fine for you._

 _sabyashiv: thank you! I hope you will continue to like it._

 _Guest: Babies will come but not yet..._

 _LaDdraig: thank you. This was my first story. I hope I have improved in" Dangerous infiltration mission" and I hope I will continue to improve in" All over again". There is more chapter remaining..._

 _xblackxhunterx: Sakura is quite the pervert. At 12 years old she boldly tried to kiss Sasuke the first day on team assignement. She had nosebleed at Konohamaru reverse sexy jutsu and another at Naruto reverse sexy harem... thank you. I hope you will continue to like it._

 _sinistra21: thank you_

 _Dieinhappiness: He want a child, she's not ready... but before that, there is other things to deal first. Thank you, I hope you will like the new chapter._

 _Mimi Reza: thank you! I hope you will continue to like it._

 _Otepbunni: Thank you! You have as well "Dangerous infiltration mission" and "All over again" if you want more of my stories. I hope you will like the new chapter as well._

 _Danny Ketchum: Thank you! I hope you like them._

 _kecole 12813: Naruto is always so sweet. Clumsy sometime but so so sweet... and two Naruto... hmmm. I hope you will continue to like the chapter. Thank you_

 _kem 194: hehehe... it was my favorite part too... I think it's one of the first scene I imagined when I created this story in my head._

 _Ken Tou: a plot is not limited at action, drama or jealousy. But don't worry, I know exactly where I am going. (The whole story is written and will be delivered if the public follow it). There will be some event here and there. Sorry I am not very good at action, so there will be very few of them. Lemon, love life, is what I wanted for this story, so I am happy that you like them. There will be no lingerie in this story but I will keep the idea for the sequel maybe. About the new story "all over again", chapter 2 is published. Again, it will depend of the reaction of my readers, if I write the story or this time drop it in the middle.(the new story is not written yet)_

 _Crystal: thank you! I hope you will like the new chapter_

 _Troa95: With a man like Naruto, wouldn't you turn out pervert too? well two Naruto must be great XD Thank you!_

 _Naru 285: Thank you! I hope you will continue to like it!_

 _RyoshiMorino: I don't know if you arrived to that point yet. I hope yes... I hope you will continu to enjoy the story. thank you for your review. it is very important to me._

 _Joey 91731: thank you. I hope you arrived to that point. I am happy that you are reading my other stories: "Dangerous infiltration mission" is finished, "All over again" is on going at writing and I will need huge motivation to work on it ;) I hope you will as well continue to like this story. My reader support is really important to me._

 **CHAPTER 34**

The newlywed couple took a stroll in the beginning of the afternoon, along a scenic route following the river nearby the inn in a secluded area. After their breakfast, they had enjoyed a short nap together and to not be lazily staying confined in the little world of their room, Sakura had suggested walking.

The weather was quite nice for the beginning of September, the vibrant color of the trees on their way made the path enchanting with the falling leaves in the breeze. Naruto had intertwined his fingers with her, his smile was spell-binding as he playfully created a gust of wind, making the flamboyant leaves dance around them as they walked. Sakura couldn't help but laugh with him. His innocence and playful nature were some of the traits he had that made life around him brighter and joyous. Smiling blue eyes shined from mischief before he stopped, encircling her with his arms to bring her close to him. The gust of wind intensified, circling around them and creating a moving curtain of colorful leaves. Naruto laughed louder for his little trick before gently kissing her.

Sakura realized they had moved only when her back felt the roughness of the trunk of the tree. The leaves were raining around them, the jutsu was forgotten for a more interesting activity. His hand came creasing the material of her skirt, his knee finding its place between her legs to spread them apart. Her husband would have certainly continued further if he didn't feel something at odd. His mouth abandoned hers and Naruto switched to Sage mode to track the abnormality. He growled, recognizing the chakra signature and angrily called Sai.

The cat masked ANBU landed gracefully near them, nothing daunted on him for disturbing them in a private moment. Sakura readjusted her clothes and Naruto admonished him to not have shown up immediately.

"I was just thinking that it was a good opportunity to do some research... Ino had asked me to take example on you," the artist confided.

Naruto face-palmed, "She just wants you to propose to her, not to study our sex life!" explained the blond tiredly to his socially inept friend. Sakura's eyes narrowed, she wasn't as sure as her husband on Ino's real motive.

The dark-haired man tilted his head curiously, "You think?"

Naruto nodded and Sai came back to business casually, "So... Shikamaru sent me to ask you to come back immediately to the Hokage tower. There's an emergency."

Naruto face grew serious, he glanced at Sakura, "I'm sorry... we'll have to postpone the honeymoon for another time. You can stay enjoying the hot spring... I'll see you at home after tomorrow."

The pinkette shook her head and declared, "I'm coming with you!" Earning a tender smile from her husband.

Sai pulled out a scroll to draw two birds, and the couple left immediately. Meanwhile, the ANBU operative went at the ryokan to ask the owner to send Naruto's luggage back in Konoha.

XXXX

Naruto slipped on his Hokage robe before entering the meeting room with Shikamaru in tow to resume the situation. Sakura opted to wait for him in his office with Sasuke while he was on standby for more orders.

Sasuke explained to her what he knew. Attacks on different temples occurred in the big Elemental Nations, resulting in the robbery of old artifacts. The attacks had been well orchestrated, possibly by a unique mastermind. The cause, however, they had no clue about, nor of the possible culprit.

Soon after the meeting started, Naruto's loud voice rang through the wall. Right away, Sakura neared the wall to try to hear the conversation. At the beginning, Sasuke glanced at her with a haughty stare, but as soon as Naruto yelled his name, the former rogue ninja got in the same position as the pinkette to grasp pieces of conversation.

On the other side of the wall, affronted, the young Hokage was directly in an aggressive battle of words with the Raikage. The two hot-blooded shinobi were now face-to-face growling at each other. 'A' had openly insulted Sasuke, making the blond angry. Shikamaru had taken ahold of the Hokage discreetly with a shadow possession jutsu to avoid any diplomatic incident while Naruto barked back his argument.

"The enemies are multiple and the job is for an infiltration mission. It's for a Kage caliber shinobi, but neither of us could leave our village for a long investigation. Sending Sasuke is the better choice! He's familiar with the underground world, and his visual prowess could extract any information needed; that would make him the most efficient. It will limit the number of shinobi sent to a minimum to stay unnoticed. Think of it!"

The Raikage grunted, "Brats should stay in their place!"

The bulky man looked down on the blond, making him grind his teeth in return as Shikamaru tightened his hold. "Your friend," 'A' spat the word, "is a traitor that tried to kill all of us here! Why should I trust him for such a mission?"

Naruto wasn't impressed by anyone, he had grown up with a Tailed Beast in his belly, and had talked to a super old legend, the Six-Paths gramps himself.

"Sasuke had changed! He saved all of your butts during the war... He's a damn Hero! Dattebayo!" the blond yelled back in response and everything turned upside down instantaneously.

The Hokage was punched straight in the face by the Raikage, throwing him through the room, crash a wall, and fly more until Sasuke teleported to catch his friend before the blond crashed into the next wall. Everyone was astonished at the turn of events. Sakura was shocked to see the bloodied face of Naruto and ran to check on him. The pinkette applied her hands, immediately glowing with healing chakra, some bones were broken, and her glare pierced 'A' in pure hatred. The bulky man withstood her stare in defiance. An uproar arose at the Raikage's action, the other Kage admonishing him.

Scornfully, the bulky man spat, "The brat should stop being a fool!"

Her blood boiled. Sakura traversed the room until she was standing just in front of him. "How dare you?" she growled.

Arrogantly, the Raikage snorted, "You should go back to playing the good housewife and heal your little man, girly!"

'A' may be a fast man, but he didn't see it coming, or maybe he just underestimated her. It was clear that the Hokage's wife appeared frail and cute. The punch that connected violently with his guts made him fly and crash against the table at the other side of the room.

"Consider yourself lucky that I didn't hit you at full strength. Never think of touching even a single hair on him, or I won't hold back next time!" Sakura's threatening eyes set on the Raikage with a form of madness.

 _This petite girl!_ The rumor of the Hokage's wife's strength was true... His fist clenched. She was worth a fight! The bulky man stood up cleaning the blood at the corner of his mouth with his sleeve.

The pinkette turned around to go back to heal her husband before he called her out, "Not so fast Mrs. Uzumaki!" 'A' chuckled, having found an interesting opponent.

Green orbs flashed with a determination, not backing out of a challenge. In a flash, everyone reacted. Sakura raised her fists, ready to defend herself. Gaara couldn't let Sakura get hurt and lifted a sand wall in front of the pinkette, she was Suna's friend and Naruto's precious person. Sasuke instinctively extended Susano's arms to engulf his former teammate in his protective armor. Shikamaru immobilized the Raikage with his possession jutsu as he predicted the movement. But what surprised 'A' the most was to feel a kunai blade against his throat. The blond had materialized out of nowhere, not even in his Nine-Tailed form, blood still dripping from his open cheek. The brat had surpassed his late father's speed.

The Raikage's eyes widened when the blond spoke, "Don't ever lay a hand on my wife!" Naruto's tone was low, menacing in his cold injunction.

The blond's hand was firm and Shikamaru hesitated to extend his jutsu to his friend in precaution. Sakura was the biggest trigger to make Naruto blind in rage, but the advisor didn't dare as he felt somewhat guilty for the Hokage's injury. Perhaps without his intervention, Naruto would have been able to dodge the unexpected blow.

The old Tsukikage observed the scene and frowned, "Konoha is full of resourceful shinobi and the Hokage isn't a man you'd want to have as an enemy. The kid doesn't want a war, but do not provoke him. Sit down and stop making a scene! We have a meeting to finish for all of us to go back to our own village as soon as possible to take care of the real problem at hand," the old man wisely advised 'A'.

Naruto withdrew his weapon and calmly walked to his seat. Sakura was already at his side carefully treating his wound and Sasuke came to stand behind the couple to intervene if needed. The Raikage snorted. He didn't actually have any bad feelings toward the Nine-Tail Jinchuriki. It was true that the first time he saw the blond, he thought of him as a weakling. However, the act has proven that the young Hokage was a man of his word and an honorable shinobi. A man who earned his respect. 'A' just didn't like being cut short like that. The Raikage went back to sit at his place.

The Mizukage laughed at the Raikage's contrite face, "What did you expect? That you could break her hubby's face on her honeymoon without receiving a blow? A husband in any wife's heart is sacred! If I were her, I would have burned you alive under a lava release."

Gaara silently studied Sasuke's demeanor. The protective posture of the former rogue ninja put him at ease. Naruto was really able to change the heart of anyone, even those who were lost in unfathomable darkness. The Kazekage recognized in his dark eyes the same attachment and gratitude he had for the Demon Fox Jinchuriki. Gaara lifted his gaze and declared, "I trust Naruto's choice for the mission."

Mei looked alternatively between Gaara, Naruto, and Sasuke. The Kazekage was an honest person and Naruto was more than trustful, as well. She observed the dark-haired shinobi, she already knew how powerful he was, having battled against him, but the aura around him had somewhat changed since that day and her feminine intuition told her that he would stay loyal to the blond. The Mizukage smiled amicably at the Raikage and decided, "I accept too! Young men should have their time to prove their worth".

The Tsukikage listened to his fellow Kage. He was an old man and his long years of life have taught him that this young Hokage was doing everything in the interest of all people beyond status and borders. He had seen the blond treat his people kind and fair. Furthermore, the Sand's alliance with the Leaf was strong, if the Mist joins them, it would be a bad move to go against them.

"I approve!" The old man affirmed. It wasn't a bad move for him as less of his team would risk their lives for some old artifacts.

Naruto smirked in his pain and stared daggers at the last Kage. 'A' avoided his eyes in a prideful manner. "I follow to not undermine the alliance, but you will have to take responsibility for your 'friend's' actions," he grudgingly approved.

Naruto's hand slammed on the table. "You have my word. I will put my life on the line on Sasuke's behalf."

Shikamaru sent him a warning glare to retract his word. Sakura winced inwardly, unsure of Sasuke's good conduct.

Naruto glanced behind him at the Uchiha. "Is that okay with you?" he briefly asked before being scolded by Sakura to not move while she healed him. The former rogue ninja formally accepted the Hokage's request and stood taller at his friend's display of trust.

Discussion on the last details of the operation was calmer, soon after, all the Kage and their escorts left the village. Naruto sighed, slumping in his chair. This was far from how he had imagined his honeymoon. His eyes darted to his wife, who hasn't stop working on his face to repair his broken bones with healing chakra. The blond thought he'd try to make things right for her. Maybe a dinner in a good restaurant could save the day, but first, he had to finish his duties.

"I'm sorry Sasuke..." Naruto started, talking to the man at his back, keeping his face straight for his favorite medic. Naruto's fist clenched on his lap in regret. "I told you to spend more time with your son and I end up sending you away again... I'm sorry!" apologized the Hokage earnestly.

Sasuke rested a friendly hand on Naruto's shoulder, "I will do it with honor. I know that it's to protect Konoha and that you will always take care of my son in my absence."

Naruto relaxed at the easy acceptance of his teammate. He turned to Shikamaru, "So what's next?" the blond inquired.

The strategist rubbed his neck at the troublesome situation. His guilt hasn't falter one bit since the incident, and Naruto's half purplish face wasn't helping. The Nara heir glanced at Sakura, who hasn't uttered a single word for hours, her lips pinched angrily. There was a ton of work to do, but he couldn't keep the blond in his office after all that.

"You should go, I will take care of the rest," Shikamaru assured in defeat.

Naruto's brow rose in surprise, not expecting this from his advisor. The blond didn't get the chance to fully understand the meaning of Shikamaru's offer since Sakura snatched his arm, pulling him out of his office.

Once they passed the door out of the building, Naruto tentatively offered her to choose the restaurant, she looked at him oddly, stopping in the process to stare at him. The blond wondered what he did wrong. Maybe she was angry to have waited for that long. Preparing to apologize, he was going to use his duties as an excuse. He couldn't really do otherwise, he was the Hokage after all. But Sakura started to pull him again, cutting him before he could say anything.

"We are going to the hospital. We have waited enough, and you need to get seriously treated!"

So instead of a romantic evening with his wife, Naruto got a white and aseptic room with her, and dinner got exchanged for a bandage on half of his face with a soldier pill for food, as he was forbidden to chew with his broken jaw.

Being a husband, day one!

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **Do not forget to review... each review give me motivation to continue to work for you.**


	35. Chapter 35

**CHAPTER CORRECTED THANK TO DESCRIPTIONALIVE**

 ** _Sorry for the delay in publishing. I've been very busy lately. I'll try my best to not let you down too long._**

 _UzumakiDavis27:thank you very much_

 _TheReader234: Sorry I will not develop much the robbery, I hope the outcome will still please you._

 _RyoshiMorino:The chapter was a way to present their interaction with each other. Thank you and I hope you will continue to like it._

 _Naru285: thank you! Sakura is not the type of girl who would sit peacefully while her man get punched (she is the only one who have the right to punch him hihi)._

 _AquaRules: Naruto seems to always attract trouble and Sakura is not a quiet girl either (they are so perfect for each other). I wanted Sasuke, calm and discreet but really devoted to Naruto. Their friendship is really important. Thank you!_

 _DarkMantra: killer B a good Rap song? I doubt that it can be good lol. but yeah it's funny. and yeah Sakura is the disciple of Tsunade. ;) Thank you_

 _ultranx: thanks!_

 _xblackxhunterx: A could have triggered a war and Naruto could have killed him. Sakura didn't need to be protected indeed, but they just wanted to protect their friend. And Sasuke being trusted, is all thanks to Naruto. Thank you!_

 _Otepbunni: thank you! sorry for the wait!_

 _kem194: thank you very much...Naruto is a Badass, Sakura is badass too... they are so perfect for each other. Narusaku forever!_

 _corydrake: thank you very much, I tried to break the monotonous love story with some action for once. Happy that you liked it. Sorry for the delay in releasinng the new chapter._

 _joey91731:thank you very much! I hope you will continue to like it!_

 _The7th demon of Razgriz: I think so too, that's why I wrote it XD. Thank you!_

 _Troa95: I love to surprise you and please you! Yeah I am not good with action scene but once in a while I kick my ass to bring some movement in the 'peacefull' life of our favorite lovebird. And I love how it expose everyone interaction for each other. I'm so happy that you find my Naruto sexy. ANd you can write as much as you want. I love your comment from the bottom of my heart! Thank you so much to keep supporting me._

 _LimJJ: more fluff, for sure... badass, I am not so good at it. For reading your story, be patient, I didn't have the time to read anything for a long time... no time at all! no reading and no writing. but I will try as soon as I finish my exams._

 _reddraggonflyy: thank you! I'm happy that you liked the interaction. I hope you will continue to like it._

 _Akamatt: thank you! I hope you will continue to like it._

 _Dieinhappiness: thank you. I hope you will coitnue to like it_

 _DannyKetchum: So you saw the lasst episode too... It broke my heart too. But Narusaku will live forever as long as we continue to fight for... Sakura and Naruto are meant for each other. thank you!_

 _Elami: Merci! comme l'indique le titre de la fanfic... tout était construit sur le theme de evolution de la relation entre Sakura et Naruto. Comment elle a enfin ouvert les yeux et est tombé amoureuse de son meilleur ami. bref, ça va continuer avec leur relation en tant que jeune epoux. J'espere que tu apprecieras. Merci pour ce commentaire._

 **CHAP 35**

Even if she had spent quite a few nights at Naruto's house before their wedding, it was a completely different feeling to be calling it "Home" now. In the days following the ceremony, Sakura had begun the arduous task of bringing in all her personal belongings from her parent's house. Somewhere along the line, she found out that her husband had asked his housekeeper to make some space for her in all of the closets, drawers, and other cupboards beforehand.

The pinkette had thought at first that she would be the one to take care of the house from now on, but Naruto insisted that they keep the housekeeper, Momoe. She was practically a part of the family, he'd told her, and she needed the job anyway. Her husband finally convinced her by arguing that they would have more time to spend together this way, instead of having to spend all their free time on cleaning. It was true that she was drained at the end of each day–even more so after Hikaru had resigned the day after their wedding. Her ex-boyfriend couldn't stand to call her Uzumaki-san or Lady Uzumaki, so she ended up having to take care of some of his workload until they found a replacement.

All in all, it was a new chapter in life for her. She was living with her new husband and it was nicer than she could've imagined. All of Naruto's diplomatic missions outside the village had been postponed while they waited for the terrorist problem to be resolved, for security's sake–the mission exchange included. So they were able to spend some time together at home.

Sakura enjoyed drinking her coffee and watching her husband while he meditated. Every morning, Naruto would begin his day by sitting cross-legged on a rock in their garden, his spine as straight as a pine and his eyes closed. Sakura never failed to be captivated by the serene expression on his face. The pinkette smiled tenderly, remembering what an annoying troublemaker he used to be. Back then, she never would've imagined him turning out to be the man he was now. Naruto was her unexpected gift in life.

Sakura stood up from her spot and walked over to where her husband sat, giving him a kiss on his uninjured cheek. Blue eyes looked at her with love, a smirk appearing on the part of his face not covered with white bandage.

"Don't be late and no solid food! I left your painkillers and food pills on the table. I have to go to work; see you tonight!" she told him. An adorable pout formed on his lips, so she ruffled his hair and left before she gave into the urge to kiss him.

Waking up next to someone else wasn't the only good part about living with Naruto. There were so many little things he did that made her life just that much better. It was nice to be able to train with him from time to time, or to share her meal with him; and any time he could, her husband would bring some of his work home instead of being stuck in his office and they would stay together on the sofa until they both finished what they needed to do. On those nights, he would get comfortable, his head on her lap and a scroll in his hands while she would absentmindedly let one of her own hands rest on his chest, a medical book in the other. Sakura never needed to force anything to have his attention. Naruto was all hers and she felt loved, so loved. There wasn't a single night where her husband wouldn't come to nestle against her. Night after night, he would show her his affection. Sometimes it got to the point where he'd forget about his injuries– and she had to constantly remind him not to use his mouth or jaw until all the bones were firmly healed.

XXXX

The day Sakura took off his bandages, Naruto suggested they take a two hour break from their work with a seductive smile. The medic glanced desperately at the high stack of papers on her desk and refused. Her husband looked at her with puppy eyes and she tightly closed her own in an effort to not be tempted. The face he made should be prohibited and classed as a forbidden jutsu. Naruto didn't listen to her, leaning forward until his soft lips brushed against her skin, making her shiver. She had missed his touch so much. She drew in a breath, ready to refuse him again as convincingly as she could, but he made her forget what she wanted to say by assaulting her mouth.

Naruto kissed her with vigor. There was definitely something magical about his wife's lips, as he always seemed to get lost in the sensation when he kissed them, all forms of thought leaving him with only one concern remaining: kiss her more.

The sound of the office door opening without warning made them break their kiss. Sakura's assistant came to a halt mid-step when she saw the Hokage holding her boss in front of her. The brunette hastily closed the door, mumbling some sort of excuse about giving them some privacy. Naruto smiled at his blushing wife and came back to his point.

"So, what about that break?" he asked.

Two minutes later, Sakura's assistant saw her boss leave the hospital, her face flushed red with the Hokage holding her hand and smirking triumphantly.

XXXXX

Momoe stepped into the house, noting the presence of both Naruto and Sakura's sandals at the entrance. It was unusual for her young master to be home in the middle of the afternoon. The older woman hoped that he hadn't gotten injured again. It had been heartbreaking to see his handsome face all covered in bandages. The brunette walked to the lounge and laid her sleeping son on the couch to let him nap while she cleaned the house. But as soon as the child left the warmth of his mother, Masato began to cry. Momoe cradled the boy in her arms, trying to calm him down. She didn't want to disturb her young master, if he was still here.

Sakura stopped her rocking in panic when she heard noises coming from downstairs; however, Naruto didn't seem perturbed by the chance of being heard as he continued to thrust forward, not lowering his voice in the least as he called her name.

The pinkette bit her lip to hold back a moan as a particular thrust nearly made her cum again, "Naruto, stop! I heard someone–" she murmured as she tried to hold his hips still.

The blond slowed himself for a second until he recognized the sound of a child's cry. He smiled; concluding that there was no need for alarm, he resumed the sway of his hips. Sakura dug her nails into his skin, forcing him to halt his movements again.

Naruto looked at her, worried, "Am I being too rough? Do you want me to go slower?" he asked, confused.

His wife slapped him lightly on the shoulder, "No! It's not that! They can _hear_ us!" she hissed.

Naruto laughed in a loud voice and the pinkette refrained from punching him in the face this time, not wanting to risk another injury so soon. _God! Why does he have to be so loud?_

Her husband gave her a peck on the lips, "Don't worry! I put a soundproofing seal on the room; you can scream as loud as you want, nobody outside will hear a single breath," he winked at her with his infamous cocky smile, "And I am absolutely not finished with you!" he punctuated his sentence with a thrust forward, making her tremble in pleasure.

"Naru–" Sakura couldn't say more as his tongue invaded her mouth and he swapped their positions, taking the lead on the top.

About an hour later, Momoe saw her master coming down the stairs with a big smile on his face. The blond man greeted her warmly and lifted his godson up into his arms when the child came stumbling toward him. Sakura followed down shortly after, a light pink hue on her cheeks. She felt lightheaded. Once upon a time, she had a well-working brain; but she wasn't completely sure that it would ever function properly again. Her husband had made all her brain cells burn in the midst of pleasure.

"I hope Masato didn't wake you two up... I'm sorry if–" Momoe began.

Naruto brushed off Momoe's worry, telling her that the child didn't disturb them at all. He winked at Sakura, as if to say "I told you so," making her turn even more red.

The toddler wriggled in his arms, trying to get his attention, and the blond man quieted him down expertly. Sakura observed him, fascinated. It obviously wasn't Naruto's first time doing that, seeing how quickly the child calmed, comfortably nestling his small head against the other's solid chest as he sucked his thumb.

"Masato has loved Naruto-sama ever since he was born," Momoe commented, seeing Sakura's interest.

The blond suddenly remembered something, "Oh, yeah; you don't know my first godson. This is Masato Nakura," he took the child's small hand, waving it at Sakura, "and she's your new auntie: my beautiful wife, Sakura Uzumaki," he told the child, rocking him gently.

Sakura timidly approached her husband, her heart beating stupidly fast at this new fatherly attitude he was displaying. She leaned forward to look at the toddler, noticing that his face was a little red. The medic gently asked if she could take him and Naruto passed the baby into her arms. Sakura activated her healing chakra and checked the infant's health. The green glow turned more intense for a couple of minutes before disappearing entirely.

"He had a cold; it's common around this time of year. I just treated him, but you should bring him back to the hospital in a couple of days for another exam. I'll give you an herbal treatment to mix with his milk," Sakura explained to the mother, noting her contrite expression. "Is he sick often?" the pinkette inquired.

The woman nodded and Naruto frowned. He hadn't known his godson was getting sick, he would've done something if he had. Sakura understood right away that the kid hadn't seen any doctors for his minor illness; it was almost certainly a money problem–Naruto had told her their housekeeper was having difficulties caring for a child by herself.

"Bring him back here Wednesday morning, I'll check on him before I go to work," Sakura offered and Momoe thanked her gratefully, taking her son back in her arms.

As the pinkette went to search in her medicine cabinet for some herbs she knew she had, Momoe murmured discreetly to Naruto, "She would be a good mother."

The blond agreed easily with a confident smile just as Sakura came back to hand over the medicine to the mother.

Sakura looked over to her husband, "We should go back to work, shouldn't we, Hokage-sama?" the medic teased him.

Their break had been more than just two hours. The young Hokage smiled sheepishly, knowing all too well that he was going to get scolded by Shikamaru when he got back. Naruto hoped that his clone hadn't done anything stupid in his absence. Using a clone was good for getting boring and repetitive work finished, but the last time he tried using a clone to work the full job in his stead, the thing had been an incorrigible prankster and had driven the whole office crazy.

 _Oh, well. He'd find out when he got there._

XXXXX

A couple of weeks later, Sakura was finally closing the medical report she'd been working on for the past hour, looking up at the time. It was nearly lunch and she had plans with Naruto to eat together at Ichiraku. She hummed to herself, taking off her lab coat as she thought about the sweet morning she'd had with her husband in the shower. She passed by her assistant's desk to give her the paperwork and left happily. The pinkette started off down the road, but before she'd even reached the street corner, Ino latched on her arm.

"Come eat with me!" the sexy blond woman whined, practically hanging off of her.

Sakura jerked her arm away with a smirk, "I can't. I have a lunch date with Naruto," she replied smugly.

Ino grabbed at her arm again, pulling her, "Aw, but your little "honey"'s already gone and left the office," she teased.

Sakura regretted slipping up earlier, calling Naruto "honey" in front of a witness few days ago. Now, with the help of Konoha's gossiping habit, everybody knew of the little pet name she used for him, and Ino enjoyed teasing her with it.

"Shika is going crazy. He doesn't know where Naruto disappeared to without any escort. He did leave a message for you, though," Ino informed her, handing over a small piece of paper with Naruto's hasty scribbles on it.

Sakura read the note, _Sorry, Sakura. Have to go. Back soon. Love._ It must have been pretty urgent, whatever it was, judging by his handwriting. The pinkette looked back up to the blonde, "So, what do you want to talk about?" Sakura asked nonchalantly, following her. There was certainly something unusual behind Ino's bright smile.

The blonde faked being stumped for a moment before she finally gave in and giggled happily, showing off her left hand, which now adorned a ring, "Sai proposed!" she announced proudly.

Sakura smirked at the sight. So Naruto's little piece of advice _had_ made its way through the artist's brain. "Congrats, Pig! You're finally catching up to me!" she mocked, keeping up on their eternal rivalry.

XXXXX

Four days later, Shikamaru frowned as Naruto and Sasuke could be seen walking back towards the Hokage office, half naked.

The strategist made his way over to them, already beginning to berate the young Hokage for his recklessness, "Naruto! You can't just disappear like that without an escort!" he said, eyeing the patches of burnt skin on the two men.

The blond smiled apologetically as they walked into his office, "We took care of the terrorists," Naruto told his advisor, hoping to alleviate some of his anger while he pulled out two sets of shirts and pants from his drawer.

Instead of calming the Nara heir, the new information only seemed to make him even more pissed off, "You are the _Ho-ka-ge_! You can't just jump head-first into any dangerous situation!" Shikamaru yelled.

Sasuke remained unfazed and accepted Naruto's clothes, frowning at the orange color of the shirt as he took it from the blond's hands. When he'd agreed to stop by the Hokage tower to get properly dressed before going any further into the village, the former rogue ninja had completely forgotten the rather peculiar fashion taste his best friend had.

Naruto pouted like a scolded child while he put on his clothes, "But Sasuke and I have the best conjoined jutsu ever! And we even took care of them in one blow!" Naruto tried to defend himself. Sasuke sent the blond a dubious look; the excuse didn't seem so credible in their current burned state, even if the burns were their own doing (which was only because Naruto hadn't synchronized his blast of wind at the same level of power at which Sasuke's fire had been).

Shikamaru face-palmed. There was no point in arguing with the knucklehead; the guy had no sense of self-preservation. It was just an unfortunate fact. "Go get treated!" Shikamaru demanded, hoping that Sakura could pound some reasoning into that thick skull of his.

XXXXX

Sakura was in the nurse's office when she caught sight of the pair coming in through the hospital doors. She nearly burst out laughing at the image of Sasuke dressed up in Naruto's infamous bright colors, but the smile died quickly when she spotted the stretches of burning skin across their hands and necks. Something switched in her brain and the pinkette stomped over to the two men, grabbing Naruto's ear in a violent grip and ordering Sasuke to follow while she forcibly dragged her husband to the nearest available examination room. Sakura released the Hokage abruptly and he sat obediently on the table in the middle of the room at her command. Sasuke calmly took place in the spot nearby, watching the lovers quarrel.

The head medic activated her healing chakra and placed her hand on Sasuke first. She knew very well that Kurama was already taking care of his host and that her other former teammate would require more work. Fortunately, the burn wasn't too bad and she was done with Sasuke quicker than expected. She scribbled something down on her notepad and told the dark-haired man to pass by the nurse's office on his way out to grab a balm to apply on his burns at night to help the freshly restored skin heal properly. Sakura gave him the prescription and pushed him out before turning all her attention to her husband, who shrunk under her glare.

"Naruto Uzumaki! How can you be so reckless?"

The blond lowered his gaze guiltily, "I couldn't just let Sasuke go alone! It was urgent… Did you know all those old artifacts we found were part of a super powerful military weapon? The Kage scattered pieces of it all over the place, so no one could rebuild it–" Naruto tried to tell her but stopped short, seeing her fuming already. Talking was no good at that point, so as fast as he could, he crashed his lips against hers in a long, passionate kiss. And it worked.

"Just don't get hurt…" Sakura mumbled, a little weak after the kiss.

Her husband chuckled, murmuring a tender, "I love you" to her as he held her close.

 **Please review, you know how important it is to me to keep working.**

 **Thank you!**


	36. Chapter 36

**CHAPTER CORRECTED THANKS TO KOODSMAN**

 _Naru285:Thank you very much. I got the idea of soundproof by thinking after Sai snickered after finding out Naruto's relationship with Sakura..._

 _DarkManta: Hikaru is not so childish, but more hurt. Imagine the girl you like just kissed you and broke up with you to get immediately married to her best friend... it is quite shocking as an ex. Shikamaru knew the risk of the job when accepting it I think, but yeah Naruto is not making his life easy. Thank you!_

 _Guest: I don't really like the name Shinachiku, but I do like the image of it... let's read to find out! Thank you!_

 _Guest: Hinata is a nice girl but really... really she can't be with Naruto._

 _Touch of scarlet:Yeah the story is not finish but it will be really soon. I hope you will continue to like it until the end. Sorry for the delayed update._

 _Ultranx: thanks_

 _corydrake: thank you very much for your patience. I hope you will like the chapter_

 _xblackxhunterx: actually Naruto found this technique to escape Sakura punch on his honeymoon in the hot spring ;)_

 _Otepbunni: thank you very much. I hope you will continu to like it_

 _LimJJ: Hikaru will have a part to play may be in a future that is not written yet. Thank you. Enjoy your reading_

 _Dieinhappiness: I am really sorry the chapters are already written and I won't be rewriting them anytime soon. So it will be a short chapter again. I hope you will still like it. Thank you for your review_

 _Grovz2014: Thank you so much. It warm up so much my heart that I managed to please you. I hope you will like it until the end._

 _Maxslayer10: Somehow, she stayed 7 month with Hikaru and the guy got nothing more than a kiss and she just dated Naruto that she end up already married. If I were him, I would be angry too... About Sakura, you will have your answer soon. And about the virus, even if Naruto had rebuild his original blood. His organism have fight the remnant of the virus while it was not there. Without the source of multiplication (the uzumaki cells), the virus was not able to multiplicate and so was taken care of by the natural defense of the organism. But it is an excellent point of suggestion. Thank you for your review!_

 _TheReader234: Yeah, how to have a happy non violent life with your wife ;) Thank you! Enjoy your reading_

 _kem194: Shikamaru must be suffering quite a bit by taking care of Naruto and that's why Sakura is a good wife for Naruto, because she would be able to pass the message clearly... except that Naruto is a clever fox. He found the weak spot... there will be more tender Narusaku, I hope you will like them. Thank you_

 _Troa95: I will take the pairing ShikaIno for another story ;) Yeah Shika have a lot of work with Naruto and I love the evolution of Narusaku... Sakura is such a sweet girl when in love so, I am sure she would have been like that in a Narusaku relationship... and well... Naruto is Naruto. Thank you._

 _Hikage7: I hope my chapters will be at your taste. Thank you very much for your review and hope to know what you think on further chapter._

 **CHAP 36**

Once the terrorist problem was solved, all the diplomatic missions came back full force crashing on Naruto's already busy schedule. First he went for a solo mission to meet with the different Kage about the security of the artifacts to demilitarize them. After that he went to an exchange mission with Sakura that he coupled with a double mission of his own. So to be clear, Sakura saw her husband at the welcoming dinner at their arrival and late at night in their room. In between those missions, Naruto was running around to rule the ninja village at the best of his capacity. And again he left.

XXXXXX

Sakura was feeling lonely. It wasn't the same to stay alone in this too big bed. She was too restless to be without her husband that she tried in vain to come back home later to tire herself to sleep. But it was the same in the morning, she felt whacked and unwell.

That morning, the pinkette bumped into Ino while walking a little absentmindedly to the hospital. The sexy blonde woman invited her to help her decide on the the details for her wedding. So Sakura just jumped at the occasion to spend a night between girls at Ino's place to assume fully her role of maid of honor and take a break from her mind obsession.

Later, Sakura walked for her daily visit of the service with Shizune, and the brunette commented on her pale complexion. The pinkette dismissed her friend's worry with a clumsy smile, waving her hand to tell her that she was just a little tired with their work. The head-medic didn't want to admit in front of anyone that she was like a lovesick teenager at having Naruto away for already two long weeks. It was terribly humiliating at her age to be so head-over-heels for her husband to the extent of being disgusted with food most of the time since he was gone.

Shizune snickered looking at the pinkette and murmured in a conspiracy tone. "Tell me the truth... You're pregnant from our Hokage, aren't you?"

Sakura stopped in her tracks, denying vehemently. "Absolutely not! I'm not!" she declared. So many rumors about her sex life with Naruto were running wild along the hospital corridor, and the pinkette took offense in her friend's question, not wanting to imagine Shizune to be part of those gossips too. Sakura's bad mood deflated in a swing at Shizune's worried face.

"Oh I was hoping since I noted that you were unwell the other day too... and you had vomited after our lunch together... Did you catch a virus or something? Do you want me to give you a check up?"offered the brunette.

Sakura shook her head gently with a smile. "I'm under birth-control and I can give myself a check up... don't worry, I'm just tired that's all... look!" The pinkette activated her healing chakra hand to check on her belly to confirm that she wasn't sick. Shizune observed curiously at the changing expression on the head-medic. Confused. Unsure. Shocked. Panicked.

XXXXX

Sakura shot her office door closed after her run. Her legs shaking badly, she went to sit at her desk completely overwhelmed by her discovery. The young woman passed her activated hand again on her belly and confirmed the diagnosis. There was a spark of life in her womb. How was it even possible? She was under medication. Her head slammed against the hard surface of her desk. She was pregnant! Sakura felt dizzy and lost over the million of thought that crossed her mind at the same second. Quickly the medic pulled open her drawer and grabbed with a trembling hand a syringe.

Shizune entered Sakura's office. She had followed the pinkette after her strange behavior. At the sight of the brunette, some tears escaped from her green eyes and Sakura lifted up her hands to her face to hide her wretched expression. Shizune walked calmly to the younger woman and took from her hand the syringe that the pinkette had kept in between her clenched fingers.

"I-I didn't know I was pre-gnant," hicupped Sakura. Shizune rubbed the sobbing woman's back softly. "I hope, I didn't hurt the baby with the medication," the pinkette finished as Shizune lowered Sakura's hands gently to look at her face.

"Let me help you run some tests," Shizune offered with a soothing voice. To the brunette, it was clear that the strong Sakura was already under the effect of a hormonal mood swing to break like that. The pinkette bit her lips and let the older woman take a sample of blood. The head-medic tried to calm herself by drying her tears and smiled tentatively.

Once alone again in her office, Sakura passed her hand affectionately on her flat stomach. "You are a little early but you will see... You have a great daddy... I'm sure he will be happy to know about you." the future mother talked to the embryo in her womb. "He's absent now so we will have to wait a little to tell him," a hint of sadness leaked in her voice. She wished so hard for him to be here to share the news.

Shizune found the head-medic an hour later still in her office reading a book about the impact of the birth-control herbal treatment on the early fetal stage. The brunette happily gave her the result and Sakura eagerly snatched the paper to read all the information. The pinkette sighed in relief. The baby was fine. She looked at the supposed age of the fetus, 37 days, and blushed making the calculation in her head of the possible date of conception, Naruto's birthday. Sakura nearly choked on her own saliva remembering that night. That night! Naruto had drunk more than his usual consumption at the party with their friends. Her husband had been so happy to have his best friend with him and he had stupidly followed Sasuke who was definitely better at holding his alcohol. After that, they went back home and they had made love... Wildly... All night. Sakura turned three shade of red darker. She certainly had happily married the most perverted ninja of all Konoha.

Shizune smiled amiably. "Congratulations! I think, we will have to make some change in the planning to lighten your task. You were working too much and it's not good to use so much chakra during the pregnancy."

Sakura nodded and opened the planning folder to revise it. Shizune proposed to swap their surgery schedule as Sakura was the one to have the most straining one. The pinkette looked contrite to impose so much on the other medic and the older woman reassured her that it wasn't a bother.

The days that followed the symptoms became more blatant, as Sakura emptied the content of her stomach first thing in the morning and her mood swing turned more intense. Ino discovered quite easily the reason behind it as the sexy blonde woman invited herself to stay one night at Sakura's house after a long dinner over the preparation of her wedding. The blonde woman swore to not utter a single world before Sakura got the chance to tell it to Naruto, the threatening aura of the pinkette being more than convincing.

And finally, the word of the Hokage back in the village arrived to the head-medic ears. Gossip in Konoha was such a pest, but it had its good point sometime. Sakura was monitoring a patient's health when a visitor commented that he had seen the Hokage enter the village this morning. Sakura's head snapped up at the mention of Naruto and she quickly informed her assistant of her departure when she finished with her patient.

The pinkette nearly ran all the way to the Hokage tower, eager to see him and got a little disappointed as his assistant told her that he was in a meeting with the council since the morning. Sakura sighed and the young woman suggested her to wait for him in his office.

"He shouldn't be long" the assistant added with a knowing smiled. _You missed your 'Honey', don't you?_

Naruto passed with Shikamaru in front of his assistant. He dropped on her desk a scroll and the strategist left a stack of paper. "Can you send that to the ninja academy?" the blond man asked hurriedly.

His assistant saw the Hokage ready to leave and she stopped him. "You have a visitor" she informed him, enjoying the idea of surprising him.

Naruto pouted and looked pleadingly at his advisor. Shikamaru understood the silent plea. He knew all too well where the Hokage wanted to go. The strategist had noted all the desperate glance at the clock that the blond had since he got dragged into the meeting.

"I will take care of it!" accepted the Nara heir.

The assistant insisted. "It's specially for Lord Seven! It has to be him!" Naruto sighed in defeat. There was time he hated being the Hokage with all those unending duties.

Naruto entered his office and a beaming smile blossomed as he leaped to his wife who was standing near the window. Uncontrollably, tears began to roll on her cheek as he hugged her tenderly. His smile faltered and a worry frown marred his handsome face, the instant he spotted the water pearl escaping her beautiful green orbs.

"What's wrong Sakura? Are you hurt?" Naruto inquired apprehensively.

Sakura shook her head, smiling and crying at the same time hugging him back. Her head nestled for a moment against his shoulder and she inhaled deeply the scent of his skin.

"I had missed you" she admitted feebly.

The Hokage studied his wife an instant, she looked so vulnerable with some tears attached to her eyelashes. It was not like her to be like that.

"I had missed you too... but did something happened?" Naruto asked concerned, his guts clenching in fear that somehow he hadn't been here to protect her.

The pinkette lifted her face toward him, shining with the most beautiful smile in the world, eyes full of love. "We're gonna have a baby!" Sakura announced cheerfully.

His face turned blank, his body frozen in place. She had imagined him jumping around and screaming from the window that he will be soon a father, but not that, this total absence of reaction.

"Naruto?" Sakura called him unsure and something snapped in his brain.

He hastily hid his eyes with one arm, tightening his embrace with the other. "I thought... I thought you didn't want..." the blond mumbled tears rolling on his cheeks and neck in an uninterrupted flow, his large shoulder shaking under some restrained sob. The next second, Naruto cupped her face with his hand and kissed her desperately, tears still leaving his closed eyes. "I'm so Happy!" he declared breathlessly his mouth leaving her lips finally and his forehead leaning against hers. "So Happy..." He looked at her with watery blue eyes. He chuckled in disbelief. "We're gonna have a baby... I'll be a father... huh?" He was ecstatic.

Naruto squeezed her and she found herself flushed against him. Sakura felt herself boiling with desire, her body recognizing his warmth, his scent and his strong arms around her. How many nights had she been dreaming about him? Some very disturbing primal instincts wanted to do so much more than just holding him at that very second. Very disturbing knowing that the Hokage office was permanently under surveillance for his safety and her mood swapped to a panicked mode. The pinkette pushed him harder than she intended and her husband toppled over his desk at the unexpected force. Naruto looked at her quizzically not understanding the reason for the mistreatment and Sakura hided her face with her hands realizing too late her abnormal reaction.

"Sorry... I am a bundle of nerves because of the hormones with the baby. I... was just lost because you squeezed me too hard," she lied ashamed of her reaction.

He smiled. "The baby..." he repeated amazed.

Naruto walked back to her and wrapped softly his arms around her. "I'll be more careful for the baby" he assured her kissing her hair. Sakura shivered... it was worst. Now she really wanted to rape him on his desk.

Fortunately, his stomach grumbled making him take a step away. "Do you want to have lunch with me?" Naruto offered kindly and she nodded. She wasn't really interested in food those days but she had to force herself to eat a little even if it mean that she will vomit half of it after lunch.

They walked hand-in-hand to the restaurant. For once Naruto didn't suggest Ichiraku, him being sure that his wife would want to have access to more 'healthy' food as she called it for the baby. With excessive attention for her, he guided her to her chair as if she had turned into a crystal doll. The pinkette was torn between liking the care and hating being considered a frail thing. She settled to huff angrily, making Naruto suddenly stop his fussing around her and sit at his place.

Sakura opened her menu distractedly and commented mockingly. "I'm surprised that you didn't scream this time on all Konoha's roof about the baby."

The blond frowned and let pass the teasing. There was no point of arguing with an 'hormonal' Sakura. "With everything around me... It's certainly another politic matter. I'm surprised that the council didn't ask me to give them details about my sex life." the Hokage mumbled unhappily to have the 'old geezers' constantly on his back. Sakura snarled at the idea to have their private life invaded more.

Naruto realized his slip of tongue and grasped her hand at the other side other table to give a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry Sakura... It's not like I would tell them even if they asked."

The pinkette looked at the ring on his finger and wondered which one of his role he was first: her husband or the Hokage?

The waiter came to take their order and Sakura asked for a salad because she wasn't really hungry. The man blushed turning to Naruto. He was so impressed to be serving their 'Savior'. The waiter fidgeted waiting for the Hokage's choice while Naruto read quickly through the menu. The blond shinobi smiled clumsily.

"Is it possible for you to make a ramen even if it isn't in the menu?" Naruto asked and the waiter nodded vigorously at the powerful leader.

Whatever their Hokage wished, the waiter was sure that the chef will try to provide him at his best. Naruto turned back his attention to his wife and got curious when the guy didn't leave their table. He glanced to the side and saw the boy, face red, extending his hand with his notepad.

"Can I have an autograph?" the boy begged, eyes tightly shut for his boldness and his body bowing respectfully.

Naruto had become more used to this kind of attention from people from everywhere, not only in his village. He chuckled inviting the man to be at ease and scribbled some friendly words before signing 'Naruto Uzumaki Seventh Hokage'.

The waiter bounced thanking gratefully their Savior and Sakura joked. "What a success and I'm sure that your fangirls are worst!"

Her husband lifted an eyebrow at her. "Are you jealous Sakura?" Naruto inquired quite directly and she huffed.

"You'd better not be unfaithful when I will be as large as a cow with the baby." Sakura threatened him.

The blond frowned offended that she could even imagine that. "Until death do us part, there will be only you! You know my ninja way!" he declared seriously.

She intertwined her fingers with him. It was good that her husband was so unequivocal, because she could selfishly not share him with anyone and just the idea to lose him frightened her more than running on the front line of a battle.

Few minutes later the waiter came back with their order. Naruto prepared himself to dig in his bowl. He was so hungry. The blond picked up his chopstick and instinctively his eyes landed on his wife. His hand stopped its movement under the hungry look on her face. Sakura was practically drooling, her eyes glued on his ramen.

"Do you want some?" he offered extending his chopstick toward her mouth.

Sakura hesitated shyly not wanting to rob his lunch from him, but there was something in the smell of his food that turned her appetite on. _Just a little mouthful... Just one._ The pinkette let herself get tempted and opened her mouth to accept the offered food. The taste tickled her taste buds. _This is exactly what I wanted!_ Her green eyes nearly watered in satisfaction. _God! What's wrong with me? Did Naruto_ _'_ _s_ _taste rubbed on me_ _for me_ _to become a ramen fan?_

Seeing her elated face, the blond pushed his bowl toward her. "You can have it!"

She was surprised to have Naruto giving away 'his' ramen. She knew since long enough that there were very few things that could be qualified 'sacred' in Naruto's heart and for sure ramen was one of them. Sakura refused pushing it back and he insisted. She refused again and he used the baby card.

"Let me be a good daddy. I'm sure that my baby wants it." Naruto punctuated his affirmation by shoving again the bowl in front of her.

"And you?" Sakura asked.

His eyes glanced at her salad and he placated a fake grin. _Why does she have to always order some green stuff?_ "I'll try your plate..." he suggested.

Anyway the blond didn't get the chance to eat anything as an ANBU materialized at the side of the table. "Lord Seventh..."

Naruto cut him off dropping his chopstick. "Yeah Yeah! I know... I'm needed at the Hokage tower."

The Hokage waved at the ANBU to signal him to disappear while he stood up. He looked sadly at his wife and sighed. "Sorry... See you tonight!"

Naruto kissed her tenderly on her forehead before walking to the owner to pay for their lunch.

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW...**_

 _ **All over again, Chapter 3, is updated... please do not forget to review if you want the story to continue**_


	37. Chapter 37

**FIRST OF ALL, I DEEPLY APOLOGIZE FOR THE DELAY.**

 **I just finished my exams today and I am back to deliver the chapter.**

 **THANKS TO SHADOWCHILD 423 FOR THE BETA READING**

 _guest: lets begin with one child first. Thank you_

 _Babanzkiller: thank you! sorry for the delay, i hope you will continue to like it._

 _ahmadaziz:I am really happy that you enjoyed the previous chapter, It is clear that there is a lot to write about. Unfortunately at the time I was writing this story, I had purposedly shortened it as I though that people weren't much interested by it. May be in the sequel or another story I will develop it more._

 _Aquarules: I think Naruto could give up on anything for Sakura, even his life... Thank you_

 _maxslayer10: you're 100% true, I had rushed the previous chapter and this one, shortening them as I though at that time that people didn't enjoy this story. I had just wanted at that time to give a proper ending, desperate to not have any reader. (this story was completely written few month prior). thank you_

 _ultranx: thank you_

 _Elarmi: merci, j'espere que vous continuez à apprécier_

 _Dieinhappiness: sorry for the delay, I hope you will continue to like it. Thank you_

 _Troa95: For the drama, I have still one or two trick up my sleeves before the end. I hope you will continue to like it. I am sorry to not have give you any news, I had absolutly no time at all for anything._

 _BigJtheclown: thank you! and sorry for the delay_

 _Danny Ketchum: thank you! Originally, I wanted to do so much more, but I shortened the story. I hope you will still like it_

 _Hikage7: Sakura is a very impulsive and moody woman. Naruto is lucky to have become a very fast man ;)_

 _Guest: you will discover soon enough the name and why it is not shinashiku. I hope you will continue to enjoy it. thank you_

 _xblackxhunterx: some mention of her mood will be done and you're right, Naruto is completly devoted to his wife. thank you! I hope you will continue to like it_

 _The reader234: pregnant women are unpredictable hehe... I hope you will continue to like it. Thank you_

 _Naru285: It took me a while to imagine how our unpredictable ninja could react to such a new. I happy that you liked it. Thank you_

 _kem194: He can't be like that with any other girl because he just love Sakura since forever and she is the only girl which can really have a hold on him (No bad feeling to NaruHina, but I am a true NaruSaku fan). Thank you_

 _sinistra21: thank you! i hope you will continue to like it_

 _DarkManta: I saw this episode, This kid is absolutly awful, there is nothing to like about him... it is a real disgrace to Naruto and his genuine feeling. No I will not write such a kid... with Sakura as a mother, the kid can't turn like that anyway. I understand what you mean about Hikaru, it is not hate but hurt. He can't call her Uzumaki-san and it is too early to see her with this "rival". If I write the sequel, you will hear more about Hikaru. Thank you!_

 _Croa: thank you very much! I am glad that you like it (even if you didn't like my cliché, I love stupid misunderstanding as I witness them all the time around me with the people I know)_

 _Sagar hussain: thank you to be here. I hope you will continue to like it_

 _irmadbro: Thank you! I hope you will enjoy it!_

 _touch of scarlet: thank you! I am sorry for the delay_

 _Guest: Thank you very much! I hope you will continue to like it_

 _Shina and hanami: you will see why I didn't chose Shina and hope you will like it. Thank you_

 _Guest: thank you! sorry for the delay_

 _Bread Crumbs 21: thank you! sorry for the delay, it was completly out of my will_

 _Mr. Worms: Thank you very much. Sorry to have make you wait that long_

 _UzumakiDavis27: thank you! I hope you will continue to like it!_

 ** _I AM SUPER SORRY TO HAVE MAKE YOU WAIT! PLEASE ENJOY YOUR READING!_**

 **CHAP 37**

When Naruto finally came back at night in their bedroom, he didn't want to wake his wife up like he usually did, and instead just snuggled with her in a spooning position. She was so soft in his arms and she smelled so good that he got hard just being against her. It felt to him an eternity since he last saw her and his body was craving her. The blond bit his lips, with the baby on the way, he would certainly have to satisfy his need by himself. For now, he just enjoyed keeping his wife against his heart and settled for some much needed sleep.

XXXX

Her eyes opened abruptly at the lump forming in her throat and Sakura jumped groggily out of bed to run to the bathroom. She slammed the door open with no care for the privacy of the man in the shower and just bent over the toilet to empty her stomach with a very unladylike, guttural sound.

To say he was shocked when she barged in the bathroom when he was assiduously stroking his hard shaft to relief the pressure in his nether region, was putting it lightly. Naruto instinctively let go of his throbbing organ at her interruption and his mind forgot all about his self-pleasure when Sakura began to throw up violently over the toilet bowl, her whole body shaking at each spasm. In a blink, the blond closed the water and jumped to be by her side. His wet hand came rubbing circle on her back in a soothing manner and he caught her in his arms when she nearly fell limp as she finished vomiting.

Sakura was breathing heavily, eyelid closed and relished in the support given by her husband chest. She came back slowly to her sense and lethargically lifted herself up to the sink to wash her mouth. The blond accompanied her, wrapping his hand around her waist in case she felt unwell and something attracted her attention once she finished rinsing her mouth. Her eyes drifted down toward her husband's crotch and she saw it. Even if it had lost some of its vigor, it was still quite hard and erected. Sakura eyed him frowning.

"What's were you doing, Mr. Uzumaki?" she chided him and he flinched.

Embarrassed, he scratched his cheek and smiled tentatively. "Taking care of me," Naruto replied honestly, not knowing if she would find that dirty or attractive.

"Why do you have to do that by yourself when I'm here?" She inquired, anger boiling out. She had dreamed of him, of all the things they had done together. How many sleepless night craving for his touch had she suffered? He had made her addicted and now? Was he planning to neglect her?

Naruto hesitated under her accusing tone. "I thought that... with the baby..." his eyes glanced at the side to hide all the perversity of his desire "... we can't make love." He confessed timidly.

"Idiot!" his wife muttered diving on his skin and kissing eagerly his jaw while roaming her hands over his chest.

"Aah, Sakura..." the blond moaned as her finger pinched his nipple and his sex jolted in full erection.

Encouraged by his exquisite sound, Sakura devoured his neck before going slowly down in a series of sensual kisses. Her soft lips dropped a light kiss on the tip of his hard virility and his whole body shivered in anticipation. Oh yeah that was a much better way to be pleasured than with his hand. Sakura's mouth engulfed his manhood and being the medic she was, she had recently researched more about the men anatomy to be able to give him as much pleasure as possible. She didn't want to slack off behind him with his unending stamina and devotion.

It didn't took her long before bringing him to the edge and his fingers curled in her hair as she drove him over. Sakura glanced up at him releasing his dangling organ. He was so handsome lost in ecstasy, some beads of sweat rolling on his temple and on his delicious sculpted chest, his breathing ragging from his parted lips and his cerulean eyes half-lidded in a daze. She felt under her palms his powerful thighs still slightly trembling from his orgasm and smirked proud to be able to make him feel that way.

His hand relaxed on her scalp and Naruto extended it on her side to help her up. His wife grabbed it and he enclosed her in a tight embrace once she stood up. "Good morning, love," Naruto murmured with a raspy voice.

Sakura giggled and hugged him back. In a swept movement he carried her bridal style and brought her to their bedroom. The blond wanted her to be comfortable for her turn. He installed her on the bed, the sheet in a mess underneath her and he pulled her nightgown over her head. Naruto wondered why she kept putting on clothes before sleeping when most of nights he just took them off and they woke up naked. A smirk crept on his lips as he pulled slowly on her delicate panties, making the fine material roll on her thighs.

The lace passed her ankle and flew somewhere in the room. His lips locked with hers in a searing kiss and his hand came caressing her breast. Electricity coursed through her body as his thumb circled around her perky nipple. Her body arched in a jolt, the small bud abnormally reactive at his touch. He drank in her moans and abandoned her lips to leave fleeting kisses on her skin.

"I want to make you feel really good," Naruto breathed in her ear sensuously. After that comment, he descended on her body, awakening delicious sensations on her skin.

Her husband licked her folds like a famished man, making her squirm under his attention. Even if it had been three weeks since they've last been together, it was unusual for her to be that sensitive. She came quickly at his ministrations, not able to restrain herself even a second more. Naruto smiled cockily, his mouth covered with the proof of her satisfaction. The next second he whined as the fingers in his hair tensed and pulled him without warning to bring him to her. Her eyes glassed with lust locked with his and she imperiously declared a savage "I want you" while trying to orientate his large member to her entrance.

He gasped, surprised and excited by her action. "Sakura, the baby!" Naruto exclaimed. He had thought that they could just do the oral play.

"Don't worry Naruto, you can't hurt it. We can have sex until the end as long as we don't overdo it!" Sakura reassured him hastily pushing her hips toward him to have the shaft penetrate her.

The blond shuddered at the sensation and she cried out in pleasure. She was definitely more swollen and it made every movement more intense. Sakura could feel him so well. Her husband complied to her desire and began to rock his hips gently, trying to control his movement, afraid to go all the way in and hurt his future child.

She wanted more of him, so much more. Sakura pushed him around and straddled him in one swift thrust. Both of them gaped at the intense jolt of pleasure, their pupil dilated and their bodies tense under the sensation. She never have felt that full even the first time she had made love with him and her husband moaned under her. They had been too eager and deprived of each other and their love-making turned quickly to a frenzy, pursuing much needed orgasms.

In his still dazed state, Naruto looked vaguely at the alarm clock and he knew he should be panicking right now as he was officially late for his meeting with the council. But he really, REALLY didn't have the heart to leave the woman he loved so abruptly. They could scold him later, he would find a way out of it and he tightened his embrace on the small body snuggling on his chest.

XXXXXXX

Snow was piling up on the street and all of Konoha's rooftops displayed the white coat. Her breath was making small puff of cloud as she exhaled. Sakura was walking briskly, trying to not slide on the frozen ground. It was cold outside at the end of January, but she felt warm inside, holding hands with her husband. Naruto had insisted walking her to the hospital before going to work and she had tried to dissuade him, berating him that he would get late if he did so. But the stubborn Naruto Uzumaki would never have changed his mind once set on a goal. He pouted childishly telling her that they worked him to the bone and that he deserved some time with his family, his tender hand resting on the small bump of her growing belly. He won. She had absolutely no chance to make him give up on anything this important, nobody never would. Even if she had tried to keep a supposed scowl, she was so thrilled of those stolen minutes walking and chatting simply with him, although she would never admit it to anyone.

Her husband left her at the door, kissing her chastely on her cheek, before disappearing in a flash of yellow. Sakura giggled once out of his sight and hummed happily, entering the big building. She passed by the nurse office to have a look at the latest admission and spotted the name of a patient that she couldn't let to any other doctor than her have. The head medic changed quickly in her lab coat and went directly to the examining room. Sakura noticed the frowning expression of her teammate as she entered the room. Sasuke was sitting on the table with his son in his arms and his wife leaning against him.

The pinkette was smiling amiably at him, radiant from this inexplicable beauty that happiness brought upon people. Sasuke wondered a split second if his heart would have healed if he had chosen her, if he would have been able to make her this happy. His eyes drifted to her slightly curved stomach. Their happiness. Sakura was his best friend's wife, his brother in all but blood. He shouldn't envy anything from him.

"You should not come closer" the Uchiha warned her "Karin and Kazuhito are really sick and it's quite contagious."

She walked forward lifting up her medical mask. "In your state-" Sasuke continued

Sakura cut him off. "Don't be so over-protective like Naruto. Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I can't do my job."

The black-haired man cringed at being compared to his best friend. "I don't want the idiot to be over my case if you fell sick. He can be so annoying..."

Sakura brushed off his concern, affirming that she was a full fledged medic-nin and that she knew how to prevent herself from catching on any diseases. Expertly, she probed mother and son's throats, listened to their lungs and began a healing session with chakra. The light green glow immediately relaxed the kid in his father's arms and then the medic directed the healing to the red-haired woman, who slumped even more on Sasuke. The father secured a hand around the mother of his son to be sure that she would not fall down and thanked Sakura for the treatment.

The pinkette took few step away of the small family and scribbled a prescription out. The medic gave him the paper and invited them to come over for dinner some day. "I'm sure that Naruto will be happy to see you."

Sasuke snorted. Naruto always found time to socialize with him, he was really his only real friend here. Since he came back in Konoha, he never managed to mingled with the other of his generation, not that he tried hard anyway. But he could still feel the distrust in the group's attitude. He didn't mind as long as Naruto was his friend, he would never be alone again. He shared really an indestructible bond with the blond.

"Next week, by that time, Karin and Kazu should be fine."

 **I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT! PLEASE REVIEW! SORRY FOR THE DELAY IN POSTING IT**

 **The chapter for "All over again" will be published soon.**


	38. Chapter 38

**THANKS TO WHIMSICAL FOR BETA READING THIS CHAPTER**

 _LaDraig: thank you! enjoy your reading!_

 _UzumakiDavis27: thank you! enjoy your reading!_

 _xblackxhunterx: Sorry I didn't develop more for the other couple, just few mention here and there. However Karin and Sasuke will appear again. I keep the rookies 11 meeting for another time. I hope you continue to enjoy it. Thank you!_

 _ultranx: thank you to be always here :)_

 _Bread Crumbs 21: thank you! I hope you will continue to like it_

 _touch of scarlet: after all the misery I've put them through a moment of love and cuteness is well deserved XD. Thank you enjoy your reading_

 _Dieinhappiness: Thank you very much, I still don't have the result but I am in peace with myself as I tried my best. I hope you will continue to like the story! enjoy your reading!_

 _Naru285: Thank you! I hope you will continue to like it_

 _Troa95: I kind of like Sasuke (even if he is a jerk, he is as well a victim of his era) and I love the bond Sasuke and narut share. I think the only person Sasuke truely love is Naruto, and there will be other interaction with him... Thank you for being here. I am continuing to write all over again. It's hard to be back to work, but I kind of remember your enthousiasm when I write and it give me courage. Thank you for your constant support!_

 _TheReader234: Before the baby, there is the pregnancy. Enjoy your reading and I hope I will not disappoint you. Thank you for your support!_

 _kem194: Sakura is Naruto biggest weakness. There is nothing he would not sacrifice for her, his work, his happiness and even his life. Thank you for your support!_

 _YeagerMeister31: Thank you for your constant support, thank you to have take the time to leave me your impression on each and every chapter. It is so important to me! Thank you very much and I hope you will continue to like the stories._

 **Chap 38**

Spring was around the corner and with beautiful blossoming flowers on the cherry blossom trees. Naruto looked through the window from his office at the magical spectacle of pink flowers flying in the breeze. The petals danced in the air, light and graceful.

His heart swelled with a burst of happiness at the thought of his wife. Her smile was warming as a ray of light after the long winter of his childhood. Her beauty, fresh and unchanged since he saw her for the first time in this kids playground as they were barely five years old, was like those flowers that are able to amaze year after year without never wilting. She had made his life an eternal spring. He day-dreamed a minute more before his assistant informed him that everyone waited for him to arrive to start the meeting. Naruto glanced a last time at the view and he grabbed the report walking with a light step to the next room.

XXXX

Ino invited herself in her best friend's office without any prior warning, just barging in casually. She stopped in her track seeing the pinkette holding her belly while crying profusely. Her blood ran cold with worry in a second, and she ran to her best friend, kneeling in front of her.

"Sakura! What's wrong?" she asked panicked.

The head medic lifted watery jade eyes toward her friend, her lower lips quivered under a sob and answered with a distressed voice: "I want ramen!"

Ino gave the girl who had stolen the title of strongest kunoichi from Tsunade-sama a stunned look Was Sakura really crying over ramen? The blonde patted gently the distraught woman.

"Don't be so desperate for ramen, it will make you fat, Forehead!" Ino joked lightly and her gaze landed on her friend's imposing belly. "Ok, maybe you don't care since you are already fat, but I'm getting married in few weeks and I have to be absolutely perfect for my dress... What do you think about something more healthy for your baby?" Ino tried with a calmer voice.

Sakura tears doubled, falling heavily from her crestfallen eyes. "I know it's bad... and I'm so big... But his daughter want ramen. I can't help it!" Sakura stifled a sob.

Ino sighed. How could she go against some crazy craving from a pregnant woman? "Just stop crying, Forehead. We're going to Ichiraku!"

They arrived at the small restaurant and two familiar face came to view. The women greeted them passing the small curtain. Kakashi and Yamato smiled seeing their former students and made some room for Sakura and Ino to sit. Without losing any time in courteous talk, the pinkette launched her order. "A Miso Ramen with extra beef!"

Ino looked at her with disbelief. It was worse than what she imagined, she really would have to wait until the last minute to decide for the dress for her maid of honor at the rate Sakura ate. Teuchi waited for sexy blonde to order and Ino smiled charmingly and took just a small portion of dumplings.

Kakashi chuckled. "You remind me of Naruto asking like that for a double serving."

The head medic pouted and caressed her belly. "It's not my fault! It's his girl for sure... She drives me crazy with her need for ramen." She complained, forgetting to say that she had made her husband more than once go beg in the middle of the night for ramen at Ichiraku's door.

Kakashi felt the compelling need to touch her belly. He extended his hand slightly and stopped. "Can I?"

Sakura nodded, smiling, Kakashi was family to them. The hand brushed shyly the roundness. The sensation was foreign when he felt a powerful kick. "Woah! We have here a taijutsu master!" he commented amazed, smiling.

Sakura sighed, nodding. "The worst is when her father is around, she goes completely berserk... she never lets me sleep." She stated.

Yamato asked permission to touch, too. The two older men stayed a moment until the mother-to-be received her meal.

"The kids have grown up so much... It makes me feel old! Maybe I should start a family, too." The gray-haired shinobi said nonchalantly to Yamato. Sakura nearly choked on her food, eyes as large as saucers. He gently patted her back and said with humor, "It's not such a surprise, I'm a man too!"

Naruto's assistant arrived running at the counter and ordered three servings of ramen. She noticed the group and went over to greet them politely. Sakura frowned and curiously asked if the three servings were all for the Hokage. The woman nodded and Sakura told her to bring only two, she would take care of the last one and to bring him instead a portion of vegetable from a shop nearby. The assistant hesitated. Could she really disobey openly an order from the Hokage? Sakura insisted and crossed her arms across her chest, leaving no room for an argument. Naruto had to eat more healthily. He worked hard, he needed proper food. The assistant accepted, she would just have to tell her boss that she had met his wife on the way, he would understand.

The woman turned afterward to Kakashi reminding him about the meeting for his up-coming mission.

"You're coming with us on the next mission Kakashi-sensei?" inquired Sakura.

Her former teacher looked at her curious. "Why? You are coming, too?"

She frowned. "Yeah, I'm the medic representative."

Kakashi laughed, realizing his slip of the tongue. "I become too old! My memory is bad." He lied

Sakura squinted at him suspiciously. "Don't tell me that my idiot husband told you otherwise..."

The threatening tone of her voice informed him that he should cover for Naruto if he didn't want to return to the Hokage's position due to the sudden death of Naruto. "Nope! I though with the baby that you would take a break."

The pregnant woman eyed him warily and finally accepted his answer. Nowadays Naruto was always fussing over her. She was sure that if he could, he would lock her up in their house and surround her with cushions to be sure nothing could hurt her.

XXXXX

A couple of days later, the Konoha delegation passed the barrier of cloud before arriving in the Mist village after a long and difficult flight with a terrible weather.

The climate had been odd, unusual for the season, with heavy and cold rain beginning as soon as the ocean came into view as they left the Fire Territory. Sakura was snuggling against her husband's chest, shivering in her drenched clothes. Naruto had tried to keep her warm by covering her with his Hokage robe, but he could still feel under his palm her belly contracting abnormally, sign of an excess of stress.

The bad atmospheric condition had made their progression slower on the sacred beast bird drawn by Sai. Naruto anxiously looked at the petite pink-haired woman bringing her closer to him. She shifted her head a little more to settle more comfortably against his shoulder, enduring her pain silently. She didn't complain, not wanting to worry him. She discreetly tried some breathing exercises to help her relax as she staggered getting off the bird. Naruto secured his arms at her back to steady her. She felt ashamed to bring him more trouble and tried to stand up straight. He studied his wife for a moment until he had to acknowledge their host.

The Mizukage come to welcome the Konoha delegation in person, shaking the hand of the powerful Hokage. _This is a man!_ Thought Mei enviously looking at the protective posture the man had to his wife. Seeing her guests wet state and being a woman of courteous manner, the auburn haired woman invited them to relax in their room and informed them of the welcoming banquet in their honor the next day. Sakura sighed with relief, because she wouldn't have been able to handle a long political dinner in her state.

A kunoichi directed the couple to their comfortable suite. Any time he visited a village, Naruto received a warm welcoming and the best accommodations. This suite was composed of a main room with a double bed and a small lounge space. The main room was connected to a spacious bathroom with a large bath and separate toilet. The kunoichi fumbled through the closet to pull them extra bath towel for the important guests to dry themselves and offered to bring them their dinner in a few minutes.

Once the door was close, Sakura hastily got rid of her wet clothes before wrapping herself in the comfortable bathrobe to warm up. Naruto looked at his wife, her pronounced belly was making the robe not close properly. With the pregnancy, her breasts had nicely filled up and now cleavage was showing off through the opening of her robes.

The blond man pushed down his awakening libido. Maybe he should keep his wet clothes on to cool down. His wife was so tired and tensed that he should not try to put more stress on her body.

Sakura glanced at him, noticing he was also wet from head to toes, and frowned. "Change or you will catch a cold." She chided him while walking to him before pulling his wet shirt over his head.

His eyes immediately got lost in the view of her generous cleavage and Naruto gulped through the lump forming in his throat with his rising arousal. "I-I can do it!" He stuttered turning away from her.

She looked at him funny, his attitude was strange, it wasn't like him to be shy with her. "What's wrong with you Naruto?" The pinkette asked turning him around and she finally spotted the bulge in his pants. Her eyes roamed over his toned body from his crotch to his eyes, a smirk appeared on her lips. It was so good to have this effect on him. She felt so big and unattractive these days that his reaction to her brightened her heart. Her finger brushed his still-wet chest sending a shiver down his spine.

"You should go and rest a little." He panicked a little with his over-responsive body. If she continued to touch him, he would lose all sense of reason.

Her finger traced slowly the line of his strong abs and playfully slid along the belt of his pant. "I feel cold..." She told him teasingly, as her hungry eyes locked with his. The tent in his pants grew more at the appealing prospect of love-making.

He bit his lips, his body fully alert. "I will prepare you a bath..." Naruto offered trying to hold onto his resolve to not abuse her tired body. She huffed as her husband hastily guided her to the bed and then went directly in the bathroom to fill up the tub.

A knock on the door to their suite made him reappear from his hiding spot in the bathroom. He had a towel wrapped around his waist, allowing for a plain view of his sculpted chest. A Mist kunoichi blushed when he opened the door and she nearly fainted when the blond man smiled at her accepting the tray of food. Sakura fumed at the display of her husband in front of this stranger, jealousy eating her. The strong Hokage walked toward his wife with a calm smile and pulled the table over so she may eat in bed. Even with his kindness, her bad mood didn't falter.

"Why are you parading nearly naked in front of other girls?" Sakura asked acidly.

Her husband blinked and looked down at himself. _The important part was covered...What was the problem?_

"I just... I'm a guy so it's not a problem to stay without a shirt, right?" Naruto reasoned.

Sakura grunted angrily. _He's completely clueless!_ She wanted to give him a small punch, but she found herself unable to gather chakra in her fist. Her body was certainly exhausted with the restlessness of the baby and the tiring trip.

The smell coming from the plate arrived to her nose and finally distracted her attention from her previous anger. The pregnant woman felt an urge to eat and she stuffed her mouth with a large mouthful of food.

Naruto sat next to her and grabbed his plate to eat too. _It's_ c _ertainly another of her 'hormone' stuff_ , - he though.

The pink-haired woman devoured her plate and then leaned back on her hands to rest. The uncomfortable contractions had finally stop. One of her hands caressed her belly.

"Your daughter finally calmed down now that I gave her food." She commented happily.

The future father lost all interest in his plate and instead placed his hand affectionately on her, slipping under her bathrobe to touch her skin, enjoying the feeling of life under his palm. Naruto smiled so earnestly that Sakura's heart jumped against her ribcage. Their baby kicked to show her appreciation of her father's contact. His fingers spread slightly beneath the garment and he leaned toward Sakura's stomach. His lips kissed softly the round belly before whispering loving words to his child. There was so much love radiating from him that Sakura shivered.

His blue eyes lifted to her after he felt her shudder beneath his palm. Naruto _didn't want her to be cold_ _._ "I've prepared for you a warm bath," the blond announced. His wife simply sat up straighter and she snuck her arms around his neck tenderly.

"Will you come with me?" Sakura invited him meaningfully. Her husband kissed her chastely on the cheek while putting his arms underneath her form to carry her for an answer.

Naruto let her down when they arrived in the bathroom and helped her out of her bathrobe. She entered in the shower cabin first and he abandoned his towel before stepping in with her. The warm spray of water rolled on their skin and Sakura leaned against him, letting him embrace her from behind. She loved these kinds of moments with him. They could justify in an instant all the pain and tiredness they experienced in their missions. She relished the contact of his hands on her skin. Naruto was even more tender since the beginning of her pregnancy, giving her only soft and careful caresses.

The blond enjoyed her beauty while she let him rub his soapy hands on her, not forgetting a single patch of skin. She stayed under the warm water holding her belly gently as if to lull to sleep the baby inside her womb. Naruto crouched and looked up at her with his hand caressing her legs, then he gave a lick between them, not able to resist the temptation when it was displayed right under his nose. Sakura shivered from the sensation and hoped that he would be bold enough to continue, but he stood up and invited her to soak in the bath.

Naruto settled himself first against the wall of the bathtub and then she joined him, resting against his chest – it was now one of their rituals whenever they had enough time to share a bath. The room was filled with a light steam from the warm water and she relaxed into the delightful sensation of his presence. Sakura let a sigh of satisfaction escape when his hands came to her shoulders for a light massage.

"You're so tense," her husband commented. If she had been a cat, she would have purred at the ministration. His hands worked wonders on her aching back. Naruto hadn't been the intellectual type but he was clearly a real genius in everything related to the body.

Sakura twisted her head, stealing a kiss from his lips, and quickly half gyrated her body to deepen it. Her hands came to find support on his strong shoulders, their tongues entangling with each other. His hand rubbed her belly gently as if to remind himself to restrain his desire.

"Don't kiss me like that Sakura or I won't be able to stay calm." Naruto warned her and she smiled mischievously at him.

"Maybe I don't want you to be calm..." his wife said slyly, her intent to play more with him evident as she kissed his neck.

He moaned, feeling his control slip away. "Sakura...Aaaahh... The baby...Hmmm... Your belly was so tensed before...Hnn... We should..."

Sakura looked at him. Would he dare tell her to stop when he had a pillar tall and thick like a tree standing proudly between his legs? Naruto caught his breath, his cerulean eyes half-lidded.

"We should?" She repeated curling her fingers around his shaft and giving it a stroke.

Naruto gasped, closing his eyes from the sensation. He cleared his voice trying to sound less excited than he was. "Sakura..." he began.

"I want it as much as you." Sakura whispered in his ear repeating the gentle movement of her hand on his very sensible member, breaking off his last defense. He had no chance of winning, he was all hers.

Her husband helped her up and they dried themselves off before going into the bedroom for more comfort. Naruto couldn't deny that even if he was anxious, he was very excited as well. For weeks, he hadn't dared bothering her much and as a result they had less sexual intercourse.

He ran around positioning on the bed pillows and comforter on the left side while she chuckled at his enthusiasm. Sakura climbed onto the bed and lay down on her side with the pillow supporting her belly. Her husband was always trying his best to make her comfortable or happy, sometimes clumsily but always caring. Naruto spooned her from behind and caressed her gently. His voice was a whisper to her ears. "Are you sure, you want..."

He didn't finish his question that she took his hand and guided it between her legs. She was all wet and not from the bath. Sakura felt a shuddered breath against her neck and tentatively he began to finger her.

She wanted him so badly. She felt so deprived of him. She felt so insecure of her own attractiveness with her body all deformed. She didn't know if it was because of the pregnancy or if she had developed smell fetish, but just the scent of his skin could reassure her or turn her on in a blink of an eye. She would have love to turn around and face him, but it was impossible with her condition. She loved carrying their child, but the huge protuberance was restricting so much her movement. It was the last position she could handle and she felt partly frustrated to not be able to see his face.

"Honey... hnnn... talk to me!" Sakura begged.

Her husband kissed softly her shoulder and his voice sounded like velvet in her ears. "Yes my love... Do you like it?" Naruto asked lust clouding slowly his mind.

She squirmed as his fingers entered her and she deliciously moaned. "Naru-...aaaahh...I want you..." her hand came searching behind her back for the proof of his own desire. Naruto moaned in her neck as she stroked him few times before pushing down the hard member.

Understanding the silent plea of his lover, Naruto complied to her wish and penetrated her slowly. Sakura trembled at the sensation and he released a shuddered breath. He had kept a grip on himself to stay gentle and not thrust too deeply. Even if he wasn't completely in her, she felt tremendous pleasure in the invading large organ. Her whole body had changed in those few months and one fact for sure, she was definitely more sensitive in her breasts and sex. A simple brush was able to send a jolt of electricity to her core, so the slow and controlled sway of his hips made her cum hard in a record time. As her body shook, he panicked a little at feeling her belly contract.

Her husband pulled out immediately not wanting to create any discomfort or to risk hurting their baby. Sakura breathed heavily few more seconds before twisting her neck to glance at him over her shoulder. Naruto had a sheepish, guilty look, despite his arms still tenderly embracing her. He gave her shoulder a small kiss.

"Maybe we should stop here, love..." Naruto suggested.

Her hand touched his member. "But you didn't finish..." his wife accused pouting.

He chuckled and gave her a peck on the lips. "I can take care of it quickly."

Sakura frowned, pinching her lips into a thin line while studying him. His overprotectiveness was sometimes really annoying, but then he wouldn't be the man she loved.

"Let me help you with it instead!" She declared, sitting up and turning to him. Naruto stayed lying flat on his back, his body in her care and she stroked him expertly, earning immediately soft moans from him. _It may be not enough_.

"Stand up and come near me!" Sakura commanded.

"No it's fine like that Sakura... don't sweat it!"

She squeezed his shaft harder. _He can't be satisfied with just that_. "Come here, baka! I can't bend properly with this." Sakura signaled pointing at her huge belly.

With his 'hormonal' wife holding tightly his cock, he'd better to not make her mad if he wished to have other kids one day. He moved fast to obey her and his wife released the threatening grip. Naruto stood in front of her, his erection not having lost a bit of its vigor. Sakura situated herself more comfortably and began to caress his member with her mouth. His eyes crossed and he bit his fist to not scream. _God! She's really good at this!_ _I should have put a soundproof seal at our arrival._ And finally, it didn't take her long to make him drown in pleasure.

Naruto exhaled loudly letting his body fall limp on the bed beside her. His wife giggled happily observing his relaxed face. She lay her head on his shoulder. She wished to be able to fall asleep like that, but her belly was too heavy and cumbersome to allow her the luxury of this position. Sakura moved back to take support on the pillow on her left side. Naruto noticed her leave and crawled to snuggle against her. The blond closed his eyes and gave her shoulder a soft peck.

"Good night, love," he murmured.

The baby gave a kick under his palm as if to demand his attention. He caressed Sakura's belly tenderly. "Good night princess" he breathed at his child before drifting to sleep.

 **EACH REVIEW IS IMPORTANT... EACH REVIEW IS A MOTIVATION FOR ME TO WORK FOR YOU!**

 _PS: For all those who wanted me to use Shinashiku as a name for NaruSaku's child, Sakura is expecting a girl. But I hope you will still like the name I choose specially for her (revealed soon)._


	39. Chapter 39

**THANKS TO ZERO 10 FOR BETA READING THE CHAPTER**

 _ultranx: thank you_

 _ashkill45:Thank you! I am so glad that you like my work. I hope you will continue to enjoy the chapters and that I won't disappoint you._

 _guest: Yeah Naruto is an awesome husband and NaruSaku should have ended up together. They were meant to be together... like since the beginning... I am happy that you like my work and don't hesitate to review All over again (next chapter in the beginning of june). I love to see the reaction of my reader when I post chapter, it's my way to get motivated. All review is a boost to me to work for you._

 _DarkManta: Kakashi is not in his prime, but he is still super attractive and quite fit. He's what 15 years older than Naruto... so around 37 in this story. Men at 37 are really something. hehe Thank you for your review._

 _Bread Crumbs21:thank you i hope you will continue to like it._

 _touch of scarlet:Thank you for supporting me! I am really happy to know that you're waiting for the update._

 _Hikage7: I love fluffiness too, and they are so perfect for that. Thank you!_

 _Naru285: Yeah this story is not much of an adventure or action type. It was all focus on their relationship. This story is somehow a pilot for the one arriving next. You can found in my other stories some reference to it (private joke I made with myself as I write) as even if the plot, rhythm difers, they are still connected somehow. Thank you for your support. I am so happy to know that you like the chapter._

 _AquaRules: Thank you! There is different kind of love and all of them are appreciable. I am so glad that you continue to enjoy it. I hope I will be able to make you like it until the end._

 _orangana:Thank you! I hope you will continue to enjoy it._

 _Dieinhappiness:Yeah they are having a mischievous little girl. That's why the name is not Shinashiku ;) Thank you!_

 _midnight shadow of darkness: I wish so much the same... the ending is such so crappy and I can't even look at Boruto. It make me want to vomit. They should have end up married... all was pointing toward it. I didn't understood how Sakura could continue to love Sasuke after he deliberately saved Naruto from the lava and let her die, or after the gentjutsu. No she should have somehow opened her eyes on the infinite love that Naruto offered her. Anyways we still have fanfiction to restore the wrong lol thank you for you support!_

 _xblackxhunterx: Sakura have always been a perverted one. She's the one with the bloody nose for the reverse harem after all. I think she is as perverted as Naruto except that she don't show it._

 _guest: Thank you very much! I hope you will like it until the end and I will try to improve my writing on my other stories. have you read "dangerous infiltration mission" or "all over again"?_

 _joey91731: Thank you! I am happy that you continue to like the story. I hope I will not disappoint you._

 _TheReader234: Naruto is such a cute man, and well he really love Sakura and his futur child. Thank you... the mist village adventure next :)_

 _DanteAzel: Thank you!_

 _Troa95: If you know all the stories that goes on in my head about their child. You would love it. I wish to have more time and courage to write them all. But for now I have to focus on "all over again". Yeah and for Sakura hormones, if I had a husband like Naruto, mine would be on fire too. lol_

 _Guest: Thank you! I love NaruSaku too, but I think you would have guessed it XD_

 _kem194:Thank you! Naruto is overprotective, but love win over!_

 _YeagerMeister: Thank you so much for reviewing each chapter and sharing with me your reactions. You're a great motivation. Thank you!_

 **Chapter 39**

Few days later, the Konoha's delegation were invited, by a local lord, of the land of water, after the meeting of the day, about the role of the two-ninja village, protecting the trading route. Sakura usually prefered to avoid such formality, but with the lord having personally requested her presence, as the Hokage's wife, left little for consideration. The day had been tiring, with the training to master the healing Mist technique. She winced at a contraction from stress, and tried to breathe to alleviate the pain. The dinner was just at its beginning, and promised to be very long.

The waiter fetched them the meal, and the smell made her nauseous. She wished to take her leave. However, Naruto and the Lord were still discussing the mission. The Hokage assured, the terrorist had been taken care of, and that there had been few months going on, without any major disturbance. The man nodded, acknowledging the Hokage's words, but persisted on arguing nonetheless. It seems, she had to endure a little longer, for she couldn't interrupt this important conversation.

A light tingling on her lips, a muffled buzz echoing in her ears, and the loss of focus; she recognized instantly the hypotension symptom. Like responding on instinct, after hearing her unsteady breathing, Naruto excused himself, and pivoted toward Sakura, sensing that something was off. He noted, her face was excessively pale, and his blood froze. Just in time, he caught her as she fainted, the crystal on her forehead dissolved. Panic seized the future father, and he carried her, while requesting for a medic to come urgently in their room.

The Mizukage observed appreciatively, of the young Hokage taking care of his wife. Her eyes followed briefly the tall frame, before the blond disappeared into a streak of yellow. The clatter of the dinner ceased at that instant, as most were dumbstruck at the inhuman speed of the Hokage. Mei, recomposing herself, instructed an attendant to send the Mist head medic, to the Hokage's room.

Shikamaru sighed profoundly. He had expected the blond, to always have harsh and impulsive reaction, when it concerns Sakura. As an excellent diplomat, the strategist attracted the lord's attention, resuming the conversation in the Hokage stead.

The Mizukage nonchalantly took a sip of her sake, discreetly evaluating the man, seated at her right. He was known to be powerful, being the previous Hokage. He had a nice built, the only problem was this infuriating mask, which conceal her interest, and piques her curiosity.

 _What if he has an ugly mouth?_

Regardless, at her age, she may not be allowed the luxury, to be picky in term of look. Mei leaned suggestively toward the copy ninja, making good use of her cleavage, in her seduction attempt. Her hand sliding slowly up his knee, as she spoke sultrily.

"Are all the men in your village that devoted to their wife?" The allusive glint in the Mizukage eyes, gave a chill running down the gray-haired ninja. He leaned backward ever so slightly in a protective gesture, not wanting to offense a woman, as dangerous as Mei.

"The Hokage is particularly fond of his wife." Kakashi attempted to subtly escape the woman's touch, but he shivered when she groped his inner thigh.

"And you... do you have a wife?" The sexy woman inquired, leaning sensually into his face.

The hair at the back of his neck stood straight from goosebumps. "I've a girlfriend!" Kakashi lied to shake her off his tail. The Mizukage was a beautiful woman, but he couldn't picture himself having perverted fantasies with a woman like Mei, who could effortlessly fry him in a pit of lava.

The Mizukage reluctantly retracted her wandering hand, prompting Kakashi to inaudibly sigh in relief. "How sad. Good men are rare nowadays." she commented, not stopping her perusal. He swallowed a lump in his throat. He needed now to find a girlfriend, and fast, or he was afraid of the prospect to deal with her again, at her next visit in Konoha.

XXXXXXX

The Mist head medic was summoned inside, as soon as he knocked on the door. The man entered the Hokage's apartment, and found Naruto's astonishing aura of his sage-of-six-path. The green-haired man jumped back in surprise.

 _What's that? Is it even possible to be that powerful, to be shining with light? People in Konoha are real monster... first, the Hokage's wife was an impressive medic, to able to assimilate a technique just after one or two try, and now him._

The man's knee almost buckled in trepidation at the impressive display of power.

Naruto reverted back into his normal form, noting the medic at the door, and promptly urged him to inspect Sakura, wearing a desperate face, and holding the limp body of his wife in his arms. "Please. Examine her. How is she? And the baby?" The blond asked anxiously.

The man placed his hand on the pink-haired woman's neck, and noted nothing in particular, to be worried about. The chakra was low, but it was usual during pregnancy, when the flow of chakra was directed toward the baby, and not much was left for the mother. He heard the future father explain, how she had suddenly fainted, and how her crystal had vanished from her forehead.

"I've tried what I can…" Naruto voice trailed off.

The medic pondered the circumstances. The Hokage's wife had certainly exhausted herself. He had seen her the whole week following the medical team, in all their treatments, to learn as much as possible. She had been standing and walking around with this big belly of her, endeavoring hard on so many difficult protocols.

 _The Hokage have made a good job in treating her, she is safe now._

The green-haired medic peered at the worried-stricken future father. He may not be a medic-nin genius, as the pinkette, but he had work enough years in the medical field, to understand that the blond leader wouldn't be satisfied with just some reassuring words. Just for the show, the man moved his hands around with some chakra, mostly scrutinizing the different constants of the mother and the baby. They were peacefully sleeping now.

The mist head medic then glanced at the tensed eyes of Naruto, and smiled reassuringly. "They're fine... she'll feel better after a good night rest. She had been exhausted, and low blood pressure is usual symptoms, during the pregnancy."

Naruto nodded his head subconsciously, his fingers gently caressing her forehead. "Can you do something for her crystal? I didn't know how to restore it..." The blond asked anxiously.

The medic shook his head apologetically. "I don't know... she's the only person I know, that have it. It need an incredible chakra control to do it... I'm sure, once the baby will be delivered, she'll be able to amass chakra for herself again."

Sakura wriggled around in usual discomfort, with her cumbersome belly, trying to lean into a better position. Her eyes fluttered open, and she noted her husband's face just above her. She realized, Naruto was holding her in his arms. Her eyes darted toward the Mist head-medic, and then she noted the familiar room.

 _What's about the dinner? Had I fainted?_

Naruto peered at her eloquently. "You're gonna rest from now on... Hokage order!" He declared, not leaving any room for argument. Her husband had been inflexible, and had even leave a clone with her, to ensure that she rests properly.

XXXX

Back in the village, the pinkette grasped the extent of his order "rest". First, she received the prompt visit from her mother in early morning, before she could even leave for work. Sakura fumed angrily at her fussing mother. Apparently, her husband had judged appropriate, to stop by his mother-in-law, to express his worries and request the older woman, to take care of his wife in his absence. Mebuki gushed about her caring son-in-law, and Sakura grunted under her breath at his sly move.

Once she managed to get rid of her mother, and persuade her to return home, the pinkette went to the hospital, and didn't paid much heed to the funny looks she received as she passed the door. Sakura entered her office, and was greeted by the sight of her master, seating at her desk, and going through the medical reports.

"Seishou! What are you doing here?" The pinkette muttered, astonished.

The older woman lifted her nose from the paperwork, and considered a second about her student. It dawned on her then, the brat had tricked them both. Her eyes drew toward Sakura's belly. It wasn't completely bad for Sakura to rest, even if she seemed to be in a less critical state, than what Naruto had told her. The former Hokage stood up, and approached Sakura, before shoving her gently out of the office.

"Go back home! No more work for you!" Tsunade insisted adamantly.

Sakura thought to barge in the Hokage's office, and have a necessary discussion with her husband. But Naruto was in a conference, and she ended up dealing with Shikamaru. The strategist invited her to take a seat, and went straight to the point.

"Sakura listen. If you turn sick or whatever, Naruto will go berserk, and I'll have to deal with him… you know how he have one track mind. So, go home. I'll assign you an ANBU team for your safety, just in case."

To be blunt, her visit to the Hokage had completely back fired at her. Sakura sauntered out of the building, sighing and cursing incoherently. She was still dumbstruck, at how cunning Naruto had been, trapping her on all side, not letting her any chance but to play in his hand. She caressed her belly.

"I know, you want a ramen too!" The future mother muttered softly to the baby in her womb, and headed toward Ichiraku. At least, now she would have a lot of time to do some shopping for her baby.

XXXXX

Few days later, Sakura sat at the right side of the aisle in the temple. The light music was soothing, when Ino entered looking gorgeous in a formidable white bridal dress. The blond kunoichi had choose to follow a more modern style, as the garment revealed enough to make her look sexier than in a traditional refined kimono. It seems, that held some truth as everybody's head turned toward the bride, save for the best man who had his eyes on the maid of honor.

Sakura sensed her husband's eyes on her, and she mouthed him to concentrate on the ceremony instead. Naruto smiled at her apologetically, and gave a polite glance at the bride walking in the aisle. Sai was feeling quite strange, small tingling were running wild on his body, as his beautiful wife-to-be approached. His heart-beat increased, and a honest smile graced his face. It was a new sensation he was experiencing. He nearly wanted to ask his best man, if it was what a groom was supposed to feel. But his eyes refused to leave his bride. Ino shined from all her being, bewitching the assembly with her beauty.

The ceremony had been simple, elegant and with no contest, exquisite, as they come. The atmosphere was way much friendlier and relax than at the Hokage's wedding. The different group of friends took many photos together, and Ino enjoyed teasing Sakura with her slender form. The pinkette grunted after another photo shot where Ino had deliberately put one of her perfect white gloved hand on her round belly, to emphasize the curve.

Naruto approached his wife to inquire of her condition, only to have her vent her frustration upon him. "I look like a cow, while Ino had been beautiful at my wedding!" Sakura whined.

The blond hugged her from back, and whispered in her ear that she was the most beautiful woman to him, and that he found her very attractive, while carrying their child. Sakura blushed, always loving to bath in his care, and mumbled halfheartedly that his opinion was biased, as he was the one at fault to put her in this condition.

At the end of the post-ceremony assembly, Sai drew a horse-drawn coach, pulled by four winged horses that made a huge impact on all guests. Ino winked at Sakura for their eternal rivalry, and the pinkette fumed rubbing her belly. The sexy blond woman prepared to throw her flower bouquet at the unmarried women, but she noted Shikamaru paying her no attention, apparently too engrossed into something, or perhaps into his arguing girlfriend. Ino giggled and aimed at his head. It was a payback for his inattentive self toward her, and a little underhand trick to help his quirk of Fate.

Shikamaru glared daggers at Ino, after receiving the flowers square into the face, and gawped in terror, the next second as he saw Temari with the bouquet in her hand, and a victory smirk adorning her face. The strategist had battled hard from Naruto's engagement, to the news of the Hokage soon-to-be father-hood, and he had hoped to postpone the ineluctable Fate, even after his teammate's wedding. But now seeing the determined stare of the sand kunoichi, he was sure to be soon in a troublesome confrontation with her little brothe for her hand.

 **HOPE YOU LIKE IT! REVIEW MOTIVATED ME TO WORK FOR YOU!**


	40. Chapter 40

**THANKS TO SILKENDANCER FOR HER BETA READING WORK**

 _LaDraig: Thank you..._

 _Guest: Thank you, they deserve some fluffiness XD_

 _THE 7TH DEMON OF RAZGRIZ: Thank you! I am really happy that you like my work and my story. I hope I will be able to entertain you until the end._

 _ultranx: Thank you!_

 _TheReader234: The weddings are in some kind of domino's effect ;) For the pregnancy, we are arriving to the end of it. Thank you for your support!_

 _Joey91731: We won't see Ino in such position before I write the you!_

 _Guest:I was so disppointed too in how it ended. It was so awful and disgusting. Really, Naruto should have married Sakura for sure, look at what they have become being separated. Sakura have her husband leaving the house for 12 years and Naruto sleep on the couch all the time. DO you call that an happy married life? They would have been far more better together. Naruto would be such a lovely husband. For writing more. This story is soon finish, I plan to write a sequel someday if I found the courgae. In the meanwhile, if you want more Narusaku from me, there is "Dangerous inflitration mission" and "All over again". Thank you for your support and enjoy your reading._

 _Hikage7: If you wanted some drama, you will be please by the end of this chapter hehe. Thank you very much for your support_

 _Donthedarkdragon26: maybe a bit short indeed... sorry! Thank you for your support_

 _Akamatt: thank you_

 _touch of scarlet: I love Ino, she had a geat potential as a charactere... and Yeah Shikamaru will have to face the Kazekage for temari's hand. Naruto can be quite foxy when he want, and he have always been very protective of Sakura. He's such a cutie! Thank you!_

 _midnightshadow of darkness:I think the best move of Naruto was to let Shikamaru handle Sakura at the end, or she would have killed him for putting her to rest. ShikaTema will be seen only in the sequel (if I write it someday, if I have the courage).And Kakashi still need to find a girlfriend now... I wonder who I will chose. hehe. Thank you!_

 _: Chap 40 is ready! Enjoy it! Thank you_

 _Troa95:Naruto is so so cute! Yeah and for sure Sakura would have been frustrated with Ino absolutely gorgeous, teasing her to no end. And who wouldn't love being care like Naruto care for her? Actually, Shikamaru is forced to propose, Temari won't let him out of it this time. You will see more of Sasuke, don't worry! Thank you so much for your support!_

 _Guest: Thank you very very much!_

 _Otepbunni: You're lucky, you don't have to wait for long for the next chapter. Thank you for your support!_

 _Bread Crumbs 21:You don't have to wait much. Enjoy your reading! Thnk you!_

 **CHAP 40**

It was early morning but the weather was already pretty warm , being the beginning of June. Sakura was currently wearing her bathrobe while standing in front of the door and Naruto felt torn to have to leave her alone. She affectionately ruffled his hair noticing his guilty look.

"Don't worry! Your daughter will wait for you to come back before showing up," she reassured him.

Naruto gave her a tender smile, she knew him so well that she was able to read his heart like a book. The Hokage kissed his wife and her belly one more time before leaving for his last diplomatic mission before the childbirth. It was supposed to be a short visit to the border for just a few days and he had accepted it because he knew he could come back fast if the baby arrived earlier than planned.

Even if she had kept up a tough front for him, her heart clenched at the idea of being without him. Sakura caressed her belly; later today she had to go to training for painless childbirth. With Naruto absent, she was supposed to go there with her mother. After he left, she slowly made her way up the stairs, supporting her back with her hands. The pinkette took her time to prepare herself, each movement becoming more difficult as she approached full-term.

As soon as she finished, lightly clothed in a loose long dress, Sakura walked through Konoha enjoying the animated streets. The future mother stopped, glancing at an adorable pink dress in a baby shop and then was shocked to see the Uchiha family coming out of the same shop. Kazuhito was in his father's arms playing with a newly acquired toy. The child was growing up so fast, he already looked like a mini-version of Sasuke, and Sakura wondered if her little girl would look like Naruto. The pinkette greeted them and chuckled when Kazuhito agitated his toy in happiness, hitting his father nose. _Well he may look like Sasuke but he_ _certainly didn't_ _inherit his stoicism._

Karin gushed at Sakura's pregnancy, remembering her own. The red-haired woman asked her if they had begun to think about a name and Sakura lovingly caressed her belly. "She'll be our little Aiko," the pinkette tenderly answered. "our child of love".

Karin complimented her choice and Sasuke commented that it was certainly Sakura's doing as he was sure that Naruto would have called his daughter "bamboo" or anything related to ramen. Sakura giggled at the joke but nonetheless defended her husband, telling her teammate that actually Naruto had proposed only very decent names.

The Uchiha family offered to accompany her a little toward her mother's house. Many villagers came to greet the pinkette, recognizing the Head-medic, and asked her about the Hokage or the baby. Sakura very politely answered their questions and everybody wished them genuine happiness.

At a corner, the group encountered Kiba and Shino. The two ninja stopped and Kiba said something that could have cost him his life if Sakura had some chakra left to punch him. Without any shame, the dog master sniffed her and commented snickering, "You smell like Naruto. Can you still have sex in your state?" as he detected the scent of Naruto's sperm in her.

Sakura turned crimson and tried to punch him, not earning the result she hoped with her failing chakra. Fortunately for her Karin reacted fast enough, throwing a kick hard in his face and admonished him for his lack of manners, talking like that, even more offended because it was in front of her son. Kiba rubbed his painful jaw, not understanding what exactly he said wrong. In his clan, it was quite common to talk about sex ; it was a natural act after all.

XXXXX

The day passed in the peaceful routine of Konoha's life. That night, Sakura went to bed as usual but kept Naruto's t-shirt near her head. She had discovered one day, when she had borrowed his garment, that his smell was soothing to her and helped her sleep whenever he wasn't here. She let his familiar perfume lull her and her exhaustion of the day allowing sleep to claim her awareness.

XXXXX

In the darkness of the night without a moon, a group of men emerged discreetly from a summoning jutsu performed from a seal marked in a dark alley. A few days prior, the somber figure responsible for the summoning had entered the village under the disguise of a banal merchant. He gave his order, explaining precisely the role of each of them. The men clothed in dark garments melted into the shadows and ran to their different objectives.

The timing had to be absolutely perfect, not a single mistake could be allowed as Konoha's shinobi were known to be dangerous. The master-mind stayed behind to prepare their escape and gave the signal to his team to go into action. It was the most favorable moment to launch an attack with the changing guards. The trick was simple. The first team, clothed and masked with the Konoha ANBU attire, would attack the guards. In the meanwhile, the first team kept the guards busy, while another team entered the Hokage's house. The first team just needed to hold the guards off for a couple of minutes. The master-mind had given them all the information they needed to create a diversion before retreating safely at the signal of the second team once the mission was completed.

Sakura woke abruptly, her senses in alert and detecting an abnormality. She stood up and ran toward the window to call out to her guards. She didn't get the chance to open the window to let her voice leave the soundproof room before rough hands gripped her. She wriggled and tried to break free, but a cloth soaked in a soporific lotion was forced in her mouth, making her fall immediately into a deep slumber. Quickly and discreetly, the men carried their victim through the silent streets of Konoha. Then the leader activated a reverse summoning sealing to transport the group back to his hide-out.

The alert was sent immediately but it was already too late. There was no trace left of Sakura. An emergency situation had been deployed. Kakashi was contacted in the middle of the night to take the chain of command in the absence of Naruto and Shikamaru. The previous Hokage immediately sent a message to Naruto and formed a team of skilled sensor shinobi: Kiba, Hinata, and Karin, each one of them having a special technique to locate the missing Sakura. To lead the team, Kakashi summoned Sasuke. The former rogue ninja was the perfect choice in terms of power and cleverness. The Uchiha parents asked if someone could bring their son to Naruto's house-keeper, Momoe. The woman was used to babysit their child every time Sasuke was absent and Karin had to go on a mission.

XXXX

Naruto woke up drowsily from his bed, hearing a pounding on his door. He yawned and scratched the back of his head while opening the door. He yawned more seeing a kid. _Damn kid! He's not sleeping at_ _this_ _ungodly hour?_ The young boy extended a scroll towards him and Naruto blinked surprise. The Hokage opened the document curiously and as soon as it was read, he left in a flash, abandoning the kid without a word or a glance.

XXXXXX

Naruto arrived at the location indicated in the map in his hand. He recognized perfectly well the place, the enhanced senses of his sage mode telling him that the message wasn't a lie, Sakura was indeed here. He counted 25 other chakras surrounding the place and he continued his progression ready to battle at any given second. Strangely, none of the mercenary ninja tried to show up. The blond easily undid all the traps strung out along the path leading to the main room as he remembered clearly his first time coming through them.

Naruto passed the last door and his breath hitched in his throat. She was here, asleep, on the same altar where he had saved Momoe a few years prior. But the man standing next to her was different and quite familiar at the same time.

The man calmly clapped his hands, in an unenthusiastic applause gesture. "You are even faster than what I have imagined...I nearly didn't get the time to finish..." then he chuckled darkly "Nearly!"

Naruto scanned the place to identify the situation and noticed the chakra web around Sakura with the bomb tag on her belly. "Release her! What do you want from me?" Naruto's loud voice rang against the walls of the empty cavern.

Eyes as black as the night looked straight at him with unleashed hatred. "You are in no position to give me orders Ho-ka-ge-sama" the man ironically emphasized the tittle to show the blond that it had no value at the moment. "What do I want from you? Revenge!" He gestured to show the cave with his hand. "You know this place, don't you? You met my brother here and one day you took away from me my only family..."

The man shook the pinkette's shoulder to wake her up and Naruto hissed menacingly between his clenched teeth: "Don't touch her!"

The man laughed. "Don't you want to tell her goodbye?" The dark eyes pierced him. "There is nothing that I would love more than to see you die. But Man! You're really a damn monster! Even my dear brother didn't manage to kill you! He created the most powerful virus specifically for you, but you survived and killed him. So I arrived at the conclusion that there's only one person who is able to put an end to your life and the answer is: Yourself!"

His dark gaze lowered to the stirring woman before continuing his speech, "After that, I needed to find what could motivate you to do it. And this time, the answer is: Your wife!" he giggled like a kid doing a naughty prank.

The man left the altar to step on a circle on the floor. "You see, I'm a fair man, I'll give you the choice: to die or to see her die. At least with the second choice, you will know my pain in losing your everything." he told him with an excessively fake lightness to his words.

The man threw toward the Hokage a kunai. "This kunai is connected to the bomb on her belly...It will react only to you. Once your life force disappears, the web chakra will dissolve itself... I suggest you kill yourself fast, if you want to save her..."

Naruto scanned resolutely for a flaw in the system, but no matter which link, all were proficiently intricate in an unsolvable pattern. The cerulean eyes connected with his wife when her eyelids fluttered.

Sakura opened groggy jade eyes and saw her husband clad in his pajamas in front of her. Where was she? Why did Naruto have this desperate expression on his face? She called to him feebly, "Naruto..." and the man spoke in a sarcastic singsong voice.

"Say goodbye to hubby!"

She didn't understand at first in her still clouded state and tried to make sense of it by observing her surroundings. Sakura noted that she was completely bound with a chakra string, unable to move a single limb. The puzzle piece fell into place in her mind as she saw the kunai on the floor connected to the chakra web and her eyes widened, Naruto, the chakra web, his despair, the kunai...

A crashing sound outside disturbed the solemnity of the moment and the man muttered some curse under his breath. "You Konoha ninja are really bothersome! But nothing will save you! Die or live in hell! You have two minutes to decide..." The circle at his feet began to shine.

"I love you... I love you so much... both of you!... I'm sorry Sakura! I'm sorry, I won't be able to stay by your side longer... You'll be the next Hokage..." Naruto walked determinedly toward the kunai.

She screamed "Noooo!" _It was a nightmare! It was impossible... A_ _Genjutsu_ _!_ "KAY!"

But the spectacle in front of her didn't change. The sadistic man's laugh added to the drama of the scene. The cerulean blue eyes didn't leave her, so as to take with him the image of the woman he loved more than life itself. Sakura was struggling to break free, tears flooding her jade eyes.

"NARUTO!"

 **PLEASE REVIEWS... AS YOU KNOW IT BY NOW. REVIEW ARE MY MOTIVATION TO WRITE.**

 **For those following "All over again", chapter 5 had been published.**


	41. Chapter 41

**CHAPTER CORRECTED THANKS TO DESCRIPTION ALIVE 21**

 _maxslayer10: hope you like it, thanks_

 _LaDraig: hope this chapter will please you. thanks_

 _ultranx:Hope the wait was not too long. thanks_

 _touch of scarlet: the answer to your question next :) thanks_

 _dragonfox123:thank you!_

 _DarkManta:Ilaughed so much when I read your review "talk no jutsu" hahaha! Actually it's really his strongest jutsu! thanks_

 _YeagerMeister31: unfortunately, the guy disappeared letting him make the choice between his life or sakura's_

 _eremika:thank you very much... You will see what happened to naruto, and for all over again, I publish it approximatively every 3 weeks (the writing is still in progress)_

 _aimaruto45: The guy is the brother of the vilain that Naruto killed (the one who poisoned him). He is taking revenge for his brother. thanks_

 _TheReader234:as you said... you will find out if you read XD thanks_

 _xblackxhunterx: I am bad to do action scene, so it's always very limited. But I hope you will enjoy the new chapter with the answer of the cliffhanger. thanks_

 _Raiza-chan: yessss lol thanks_

 _joey91731:thanks you very much! I am so glad you like it! I hope the wait didn't kill you. Thank you again, enjoy your reading._

 _Naru285:If he survives hehe. thanks_

 _Bread Crumbs21:thank you! I hope you will like the new chapter._

 _Alphadark19:thank you so much! I hope you will like the new chapter, enjoy your reading!_

 _Troa95: Yeah the action was to change a little the dynamic of the story. Sakura was kidnapped because she is the trigger to make Naruto kill himself. The guy want to take revenge for his brother that Naruto killed (the one who tried to poison him)_

 _guest:thank you very much, i hope you will to continue to enjoy my stories._

 _NTJ: yeah, you arrive just at the end of this one. Thank you for reviewing it. I was wondering what was wrong with my writing, actually, all the chapter are supposed to already be beta-read. So I don't know what I can improve more, what I should change or what went wrong. Please, if you have some suggestion or point I should take care more specifically, let me know. I would be glad to provide a better material to my reader._

 _Ariananxs: Yeah I know many chapters at the end where rushed. I just wanted to give an end to this story. I finished to write it more than 6 month ago, when nearly nobody was interested in it. So I just wanted to finish it to not let it abandoned (I wrote it twice, the first draft being completely erased by the sudden death of my computer. So I knew what was the end, but I was unmotivated to develop more.) Maybe one day, I will come back to this story and polish it more... Thank you for your remark (for my new story, I try to not get myself unmotivated, hopefully the support will follow)_

 _Akamatt: I hope you hang on, the new chapter is here. thank you!_

 _akashjina1: you're lucky, you don't have to wait too long. Thank you!_

 **CHAP 41**

Sasuke broke through the door at lightning speed. His sharingan activated, he started to take in what was going on: the absent enemy, the chakra web, Sakura, Naruto... He didn't need an explanation to understand what the blond was going to do with the weapon in his hand. His body moved on its own and his fist crashed into his best friend, sending him flying to the other side of the room. Sakura screamed something, but her words didn't quite reach him in the panic of the moment. His blood was pumping too fast; Naruto was already back up and jumping for the damn kunai again.

The idiot was fast, and Naruto overpowered Sasuke as he tried to stop him. He kicked him, pushing the Uchiha far away enough for him to get a grip on the handle of the blade. But the dark-haired man wasn't easily beaten. He grabbed the blond's wrist, which was plunging at an alarming speed toward his own chest.

"Stop that, you idiot!"

Naruto didn't hesitate to send his knee into his best friend's side. However, Sasuke withstood it, clenching his teeth. "Give it up, teme! Sakura's life depends on it!" Naruto yelled, trying to yank his arm free.

"There must be some other way!" the dark-haired man persevered, pulling the hand away from his chest.

"There's no time! I have to save them! I'm not as strong as you... I can't see them die in front of my eyes. I swore to protect them. As a husband… as a father–even at the cost of my life," Naruto punctuated the end of his speech with a head-butt, breaking Sasuke's nose. The dark-haired shinobi flinched in shock and Naruto used the opportunity to viciously kick him away.

Sakura yanked on the chakra link and called her husband's name as their eyes connected for the last time. The blade deeply rooted itself into his chest, ripping apart his beating organ with a surgical precision, to make his death quick.

"I love you," he whispered to her between coughs of blood. The cerulean eyes closed, depriving her from her little piece of heaven. Naruto's body staggered and Sasuke jumped to catch him before he crashed to the floor.

Sasuke had been transfixed, eyes wide, shocked to the core as Naruto took his own life. His own heart seemed to stop beating when he saw the blood pouring out of his brother's chest. It was impossible. _Not him too…_ The blond started to lose his balance, his body wavering as if it were being pushed by the wind as he fell like an empty shell. Sasuke didn't think, he didn't even realize he'd moved. But he was now holding his brother against his heart. The warm blood of the man he loved like himself covered him, the meaning of it freezing his soul.

With Naruto's last breath, the jutsu vanished, the chakra web dissolved, the bomb tag disappeared; Sakura was safe, but a part of her died. She rushed to her husband, taking him from Sasuke's grip. Blood was still gushing from his chest, from his heart – the same heart he'd joked about that very morning, telling her it was beating just for her.

The pinkette hiccupped, crying as she held his lifeless form against herself. _He can't be dead! He can't! He's still so warm…_ A false contraction from the stress shook her violently. Life was reminding her to not give up! Her daughter needed a father. She needed him. Like hell she was going to let him die here. Even if she had to go kick the devil's ass itself, she would bring him back.

Sakura laid her husband down carefully on the floor, cutting his shirt open to be able to work on him. She pressed on the gash to attempt to plug the flow of blood, trying to infuse chakra into the wounds to repair his torn heart, Sasuke, looking at her with all the hope in the world, amassed their thoughts into a single whispered prayer, "Please… let him live."

She concentrated with all her might on gathering chakra to close up the wounds. But only a spark formed, even with her best efforts. She screamed in frustration; leaning forward, she let her forehead touch the still-warm chest of the man she loved.

"Please! Please, Kurama! Please lend me your power to save him!" Sakura choked on a sob, "Please, Kurama! Help me... save... Naruto!"

Her voice was broken as she was suffocated by her sorrow. The spark had been enough for her to feel the demon's chakra trying to heal its host. It was her last hope... she would do anything... anything for him to live.

"Please, Kurama…" she wept in gasping, choking sobs, her shoulders shaking like leaves in a storm.

Hinata, Karin, Kiba, and Akamaru entered the room after they had finished taking care of the last remnants of the mercenary ninjas, only to witness the tragic event in front of them now. Hinata, Byakugan activated, fell to her knees. Her world felt like it was falling apart. Tears escaped from her white eyes; they'd arrived too late. Naruto was lying in a pool of his own blood, he was gone. She felt empty and shattered in a million ways. He was so much to her. She came to help retrieve Sakura to save his happiness and instead she found him... dead.

Akamaru howled. Kiba glanced at his teammate, understanding that it was too late. He crouched next to her and gently put an arm around her shoulder. He had always known how much Hinata loved Naruto. He had teased her a thousand times before for it, sometimes laughing at her overly affectionate reactions for the blond, sometimes annoyed to have to carry the girl back home after she'd fainted from embarrassment or nerves because of him. Whatever he could say, it would never be enough to soothe her pain. The dog master brought the woman toward his chest, letting her soak his jōnin vest with her tears. His throat tightened and he started to feel like crying too. He had lost an important friend, a rival, a goal. Shit! The boisterous knuckle-head had been so important in all of their lives.

Karin came rushing toward the group and knelt near her husband. With silent tears, she offered her arm for Naruto to bite. Anything she could do to save her unexpected cousin. But it was too late; her healing blood couldn't bring back the dead, and she started crying with the rest of them.

Naruto had welcomed her so warmly into his home with his eternal smile. He had called her family, even before Sasuke gave her one. He had always supported her when Sasuke wasn't there. Naruto had been like a second father for Kazuhito, always sending at least a clone to play with the little boy regularly. He had made a place for them in the village, integrated her into missions, praising her sensory skills. He had made Konoha a home for them; he was Konoha all by himself. He couldn't die. The village wouldn't be the same without him – their lives wouldn't be the same without him.

Sakura's scream startled them all, "KURAMA! I KNOW YOU CAN TRANSFER CHAKRA!"

Tears kept falling from the pinkette's eyes, her hands desperately gripping his wound. A flow passed through to her hands, powerful, raw, intense. The fox demon worked with his host's body to mold chakra into a compatible form, using Naruto's chakra system to channel it into Sakura. Her body trembled under the magnitude. Sakura never expected it to be so strong. It was overwhelming. How could Naruto control this much chakra so easily?

Another contraction shook her to her core and she rubbed her belly with one hand, keeping contact with Naruto using her other hand to absorb Kurama's chakra. "Calm down, darling. You have to wait. Mommy is trying to bring back your daddy," Sakura whispered gently to assuage the active baby, wondering if her daughter was able to feel her emotional turmoil.

She had to do everything she could, for him, for them. Even if they had run out of options, Naruto was able to brave the impossible. For him, she could overcome anything. Sakura concentrated the energy in one point behind her forehead and her crystal reappeared, "Yoshi!"

The bright green healing light shone from her hands and efficiently, she closed the wounds. Naruto had lost a lot of blood and his organs had begun to fail. She had to reactivate his system, to make his heart beat again, and to have his lungs bring in air again. She hoped to God his brain hadn't taken too much damage. Her idiot didn't need any more dead brain cells.

Sakura gathered the energy in her palms and pushed a wave of healing chakra through his system, but had no success. She leaned forward and started to give him mouth-to-mouth, trying to force some air into him. The metallic taste of his blood on her lips made her want to vomit, but she surmounted the nauseous feeling to continue on her task. She retried the operation a few times, alternating between giving him air, pumping on his chest to massage his heart, and sending him waves of healing chakra. Each ticking second of no success only added to the despair of the situation. He had to live!

Her brain scanned at a million miles per second through all the possible and impossible ways to make his heart beat again. Her eyes, in their frantic quest for an idea, landed on the man in front of her.

"Sasuke! I need your help! I need you to send a small chidori through Naruto's chest!" Sakura demanded.

The dark-haired man looked at the medic as if she had gone mad for a second before he finally decided to trust her. He would do what he was told, even if it seemed insane. With those two, the more crazy the idea, more likely it was to work.

Sakura explained the procedure to her teammate and Sasuke listened intently. Actually, the more he thought about it, the more the idea looked interesting. The pinkette really was a clever woman. The Uchiha smirked inwardly. Sakura had the brain that Naruto lacked; they were so perfect for each other. He would give it his all; for Naruto, for her, for all of them!

The medic began recreating her strategy: pump his heart, air, air, blast of healing chakra, finishing with Sasuke using a light chidori on his chest. Sakura positioned her hand on his thorax to check the effect. _Nothing!_ She instructed her teammate to increase the power of the next one. She repeated her chain of actions, and the second she lifted her hand, Sasuke sent another chidori. The body underneath arched under the jutsu before falling back. Red marks materialized at the place of impact. She retook control of the vital organ and panicked. They had no more time left... if they didn't manage to bring him back to life now, Naruto would be lost forever.

"STRONGER!" Sakura yelled as she fiercely started her procedure all over again with a blind desperation. The body jerked up, electricity coursing through each one of his cells. Tears blurred her vision as she was confronted with his lifeless form. Another contraction wracked her and she screamed "MORE!"

The future mother heaved a shuddered breath and focused on her task. She was now furiously pumping his heart. _He can't die!_ Sakura blew air until there was a burning in her own lungs from asphyxia. _He can't die!_ She released another wave of healing chakra, the crystal on her forehead disappearing at the same time that another violent contraction coursed through her. Sasuke followed, making Naruto's body rise and fall back abruptly with a muffled sound. The smell of burnt skin invaded her nostrils as she put her hand over her husband's heart, her breathing erratic. Tears flooded her eyes and she crashed against his chest, holding him for dear life.

Sasuke was lost. All hopes gone. His heart constricted, his emotionless mask cracked. He couldn't restrain the tears from escaping his eyes any longer. Was he cursed to have all the people he loved the most taken away from him? He choked. _Naruto..._ How could he survive the loss of another person so dear? With determined eyes, the Uchiha decide to change fate.

"Naruto will live!" Sasuke declared, starting to run through the hand signs for the reincarnation jutsu. Even if it would cost him his life, he couldn't witness the death of his brother helplessly.

"Rinne Tens–" he began, but Sakura cut him off before he could perform the rest, her bloody hand covering his mouth.

A smile graced her features, even as tears continued to roll down her cheeks, "He's alive! Naruto is alive!" she chanted, relieved.

Sasuke stayed looking at her, dumbstruck, not understanding her words completely. He focused his sharingan low on the artery in the blond's neck, seeing a feeble beat moving nearly imperceptibly below his skin. Sasuke's heart pounded in his chest. He was drunk with happiness and soon, he began to laugh like a madman, following Sakura in her insane behavior, crying and laughing at the same time.

Kiba was flabbergasted, Hinata snapping out of her trance beside him. _Naruto is alive?_ She activated her Byakugan and watched the flow of chakra in his body, his heart beating, his blood coursing through his veins. He was alive! She was so overwhelmed that she latched onto Kiba in a bone-crushing hug. Akamaru barked happily.

Sakura felt light-headed. All the demon's chakra inside of her had vanished; she felt drained from her tremendous relief and the roller-coaster of emotions she had faced. The baby was agitated; her daughter had certainly felt her anxiety. Maybe she had even felt that something wrong was happening with her father. Her body wobbled and Sasuke helped her lie down next to Naruto.

There was no time to waste, the two needed urgent medical care. The same way the group had gotten to the location, Sasuke summoned Sasuno and carefully moved the couple into the purple giant. Karin sat down next to Naruto and made him bite her. Even if the blond was unconscious, her blood and chakra would help him in recovery. Kiba and Hinata followed inside, relief washing over them.

 **THANKS FOR ALL YOUR REVIEWS! THEY ARE MY MOTIVATION!**


	42. Chapter 42

**CHAPTER CORRECTED BY KITSU, THANK FOR HER BETA READING WORK**

 _YeagerMeister31: Thanks, I happy that I managed to make you feel the tension_

 _Naru285: Naruto is the most resilient Ninja ever and he have Sakura to save his life every time he risk it. And Yeah I truly think Sasuke love Naruto more than himself... He is like a family to_

 _Halsaa:Thanks. Yes you are the key to keep me motivated to work. I am happy that I respected your vision of NaruSaku and that you still enjoy this pairing. For the faster update, it will not be possible as I have lot of other duty and as well people working with me on the fics are not that available. But thank you for your kind words! I hope you will continue to enjoy my work._

 _Ultranx: thanks_

 _2000: thank you_

 _kecole12813:Thank you, I'm so glad that I kept the suspens on for you_

 _joey91731: Thank you... for all cardiac trouble, you can ask Sakura, she is a specialist with such a kamikaze husband._

 _DanteAzel: thank you... It was my pleasure to make your heart beat ;)_

 _Guest: Thank you! It's was getting better, but just for the final_

 _Desultorynights: thank you_

 _Optebunni: Thank you! The last of it :)_

 _DarkManta:The power of love, Kurama and the will to have more stories with Naruto alive (I don't like so much reanimated parents or ghost hehe). In other fandom, I have killed many time my main character, it would have been possible, I hesitated but I have so much chapter in my head in the sequel with him. Thanks_

 _TheReader234: It was inspired of actual technic to use electric choc to reanimated a failing heart. Thank you!_

 _Grovz2014: thanks_

 _Guest: Thank you very much! I am happy to contribute to your happy days_

 _Guest: hehe... you have a good nose... thanks_

 _Bread Crumbs21:Thank you_

 _AquaRules: A great man is always with a great woman ;)_

 _alphadark19: Thank you very much!_

 _GmanJynx: Thank you for reviewing but you know sometime author need support while writing their story. I have shortened this story when I was writing it as it didn't seemed to appeal on my reader, and if I didn't have anyone, I would have completely abandoned it without giving an end to it. Anyways, Thank you for showing up now... better late than never :) I am glad that you read it through even without the action (I am sorry, I am so terrible at action scenes. Thank you again_

 _Guest: thank you!_

 _Kizunaaa: chap 29 this was an emotional moment for me too._

 _La Longue Carabine: fuffernutter must be tasty ;) This story arrive to an end but if you review I might keep writing more stories. Thank you_

 _Jane : Ok I don't know if you arrived to this chapter, so thank you._

 _Xblackxhunterx: yeah it's because it is just a 'kinda' action. The action is resumed at two kicks and one punch in total hahaha. For sure Naruto would have cry to death... A next yes, it's the baby. Thank you_

 _Cmartin-Panda Productions: Thank you, as I told you in my MP, I am more than willing for advices to improve my work._

 _Dieinhappiness: Thank you very much! Naruto is always full of surprise :) He can't die that easily._

 _FanFan299: Stating something as plainly '_ _ **bad**_ _' without giving advice to improve or argument to justify your opinion, is what I qualify as 'mean'. Before judging so harshly other people work, maybe you should consider that some of the author in ffn are 1/ benevol 2/ work hard despite not being at the level of your expectation 3/ try to improve and are still learning... and 4/ some are not even english spoken. Hell! I would be less frustrated if I could write in my native language as the words would flow more easily. But this is the challenge of learning. So thank you for your opinion, as it is nothing more to me. Next time you comment, I accept critic, but I prefer when they are accompanied with valid point for me to improve._

 _Touch of scarlet: No this is not weird. I like Sasuke to some extend. Yes he was preparing to sacrifice himself to save Naruto. Thank you :)_

 _Guest: sorry for the delay, I was out of range of internet. Thank you!_

 _Touken: Thank you, here the update. For chapter seven on 'All over again' count approx three week in between the publication._

 _Ipaznokas: Yeah love can win over nearly everything... at least in fanfiction XD Thank you!_

 **CHAP 42**

Arriving at the hospital, Sasuke carefully carried Naruto's limp body inside, while Kiba complained over Sakura's weight. The pinkette twisted the dog master's ear, earning a shriek of pain from him.

"I'm not fat! I'm pregnant!" Sakura corrected him as he let her lie on a stretcher.

Tsunade and Shizune came rushing to the couple and each of them were sent to different examination rooms. Sakura wanted to protest, wanting to stay with her husband, but she had to be sure that their baby was fine. She was afraid that the stress might have sent her into early labor as she had begun getting contractions.

Shizune took care of Sakura and controlled the baby's vitals. Her cervix had begun to open, but the medic was able to postpone the childbirth by stopping the process with some healing chakra. The baby was safe, their health wasn't compromised even if the child was agitated. "Rest and stay calm," were the orders the pinkette received as the medic installed her in a hospital room. Shizune had assured her that Tsunade would bring Naruto back soon.

When Sasuke opened the door, Sakura twisted her head, hoping to see her husband. She smiled tenderly at the dark-haired man.

"Thank you Sasuke! I don't know what I would have done without you..." She didn't know if she could convey strongly enough how grateful she felt.

Sasuke's face turned embarrassed, breaking eye contact with her. He didn't know what he would have done without her either.

"We're a team," he grumbled uncomfortably.

They fell into an awkward silence for a moment, Sasuke looking out the window, Sakura caressing her belly to calm the baby.

"Where's Karin?" she asked to make some light conversation.

"She went to take Kazuhito home and I suppose she will sleep to her heart's content. She's always drained once people bite her." The dark-haired man didn't look at her, his eyes focused on the sky infused with the pink color of dawn.

"Shouldn't you go with them?" Sakura inquired, unsure of what to say next.

"I have something to do here," her teammate answered with apparent detachment.

As always, it wasn't easy to entertain a conversation with Sasuke. However, he had made some progress over the years. It was better than his usual "Hnn" and "No" or "annoying". After a longer time without more of an exchange, her attention began to falter and the future mother drifted to sleep, the exhaustion of the event getting the better of her.

An hour later, Tsunade brought the stretcher with the still inanimate blond into the room. The former Hokage placed Naruto in the empty bed and saw the longing look on Sakura's face. A small smirk crept onto her face at her apprentice's expression and Tsunade pushed the bed to bring it closer to the pinkette.

"Shishou..." Sakura mumbled surprise as if the older woman had been able to read her mind.

"He will wake up sooner if you are nearby," justified the former Hokage. "He is stable and I trust in his fast recovery," commented Tsunade to reassure Sakura and maybe herself too.

A gentle expression adorned her face as she looked at Naruto. _The boy was safe_. The more the years passed, the more the boy was like a son to her. Tsunade recommended the future mother rest and stared intently for a second at Sasuke as she passed in front of him to leave. The man had a dark aura about him, but her instinct told her that it was nothing threatening for Konoha or any of them. Much the opposite, it felt more like protectiveness toward the couple.

The former rogue ninja approached the bed silently and leaned over Naruto's face. Sakura found his comportment strange; curious, she didn't say much, observing him. Was he like her? Did he need to see Naruto breathe or touch him to be relieved? Sasuke's hand lifted toward the blond's face and she disrupted him when he opened the blue eyes to look at them with his Sharingan.

"What are you doing?" Sakura interjected, sitting up.

Without stopping his activity, Sasuke answered her, "Looking into his memories to find the face of the man that I will kill." The voice was calm and composed as if he was just telling her that he planned to have a tea party.

Sakura was dumbstruck and a very undignified, "What?" was the first thing she said, before forming another sentence. "Sasuke... Don't you think that you've spent enough years running after revenge?"

The sharingan user had found what he searched for and straightened up. His bruised face had taken on his usual emotionless mask, but his eyes stayed, as though fascinated by the face of the man he called 'brother'.

"It's not revenge..." he stated placidly, ready to leave.

"Wait Sasuke! Naruto would never allow you to go in such a quest," she tried to reason. He snarled.

"Orders or not… don't think I will stay here waiting for the enemy to strike. I will find him for us to live in peace." His eyes lifted up to her and he bore a small smile. "I can't let anyone threaten my family." Sasuke extended his hand and pushed lightly on her forehead with a finger in an affectionate gesture. "Take good care of Kazu and Karin for me..."

Hands in his pockets, Sasuke walked with apparent nonchalance out of the room, leaving her alone with Naruto.

Sakura hesitated about what to do. She couldn't make Sasuke reconsider his choice; just like Naruto, he was a stubborn one. It would only bring more trouble to everyone if anyone tried to stop him once he settled on doing something. There was just one person he would listen to… _Naruto_.

She watched the slow breathing of her husband. She extended her hand to reach his bed and intertwined her fingers with his. She lay down, studying the cherished face. Naruto was alive and it made her so happy that she giggled to herself.

XXXX

A couple of days later, sounds began to reach his ears, forming something more and more like words in his clouded mind. The sounds were like whispers, "patient", "daddy", "wake up". Naruto didn't understand everything but he liked the gentle voice. He felt contact with his hand, a squeeze, affectionate but with a hint of despair in the grip. It was like the person was afraid he would slip away from the hold. A person. There was a person near him. A person with a gentle voice. A person who must be close to him as he was feeling a caress passing on his cheek. It made him feel loved. A warm sensation spread in his chest and his heart tingled in slight pain.

The fog in his brain was slowly fading away. More and more sensations were arriving through his nerves. He didn't comprehend everything. He was exhausted and his body felt partially numb. However he heard her call his name, talking to him like they usually did when they cuddled together and now that he thought about it, there was a small weight on his shoulder and a tickling on his neck. Naruto tentatively tried to move his fingers to squeeze back the smaller hand and the weight disappeared. The blond's eyelashes fluttered and his eyelids slowly opened, revealing clouded blue irises. He felt water dripping on his face and smiled tiredly, seeing her face hovering just above him.

"Naruto!" he heard Sakura call him with a faltering voice before she embraced him, her head in the crook of his neck, tears rolling on his skin from the place where her face pressed against his neck. He unsteadily lifted his hand and let it rest on her belly. They didn't need words to convey their feelings.

XXXX

After a few days to recover completely, Naruto was able to leave the hospital. He could have stayed somehow to be near her, but their room had turned into his office's annex the moment he was fully awake. Paperwork had begun to pile up on the nightstand near his bed and he received so many visits that he had to requisition a private room for some impromptu meetings. The Hokage didn't want to impose on his wife, she needed rest and calm. So the blond decided to go back to his office where his work seemed to never end.

However every night, Naruto came back to stay near Sakura, sleeping in the bed next to her, holding her hand through the night. That's how he got abruptly awaken in the middle of the night, when his wife crushed the bone in his hand with a death grip. They both screamed but from different forms of pain and a nurse barged in their room panicked. Naruto thanked all the gods in heaven that his wife didn't have her super strength chakra anymore or his hand would have turned to dust.

A medic-nin treated Naruto's wound while the future father was already jumping in place from excitement. Sakura screamed when another contraction wrenched her womb and Naruto wriggled free from the medic's grip to encourage her. Two nurses had just finished placing Sakura on a table for the childbirth at the moment Tsunade barged in the room. The fifth Hokage stared menacingly at the nerve-cracking Seventh, the subtext not being so subtle anymore when she openly threatened him.

"If you don't calm down immediately, I will throw you out of the room!" The blond stiffened in panic with a nervous smile. He really _really_ wanted to assist at his daughter's birth.

After 8 hours of labor, Naruto was no longer so sure that it was wise for him to stay as Sakura strangled him by pulling his collar toward her.

"I haaaatee yooooAAARRRGGGHH!" the pinkette yelled, the contraction becoming worse and worse. His head, next, hit the corner of the table when she unintentionally threw him from the violent spasms. "You're never gonna touch me again!" his wife told him breathlessly in between the regular waves of excruciating pain. He lifted himself up from his fall on the floor and encouraged her again.

After 14 hours, Sakura looked at him through blurry eyes and wanted to punch him, it was all his fault! His fault for being such an animal able to make her pregnant even under medication. "AAArrrGHHH!" _How long was_ _this agony_ _going to continue?_ Her forehead was shining with sweat, she was desperately trying those stupid breathing exercises. But how was she supposed to breathe when something bigger than a watermelon was tearing her insides apart to pass through a hole smaller than a lemon? Tears rolled from her eyes as the pinkette gripped harder on the table handle. Her voice cracked in her throat as if she had broken a vocal cord with the power of her scream.

After 21 hours, the future mother swore to herself that she would never ever have another child. Tsunade forced her thighs open and commanded her to push more. Sakura gritted her teeth, giving her best, before having her head fall back on the pillow, nearly passing out. Her half-lidded eyes encountered her favorite piece of heaven, his blue eyes. With him she could endure anything... _Maybe not!_ Another contraction more violent than any other before made her body jerk upward. Tsunade ordered her to continue to push.

"I can see the head!" the former Hokage announced.

Sakura wound up needing one more hour to completely finish the delivery. The young mother felt more drained than after the Fourth Shinobi War, but a tired smile graced her lips as she heard the powerful cry of her healthy daughter. Naruto was so ecstatic, jumping slightly in place while hugging the limp form of his wife. If she had some energy left, Sakura would have certainly berated him. However she was so knackered that she let his contagious euphoria give her a bit more strength.

Tsunade came a minute later with the precious bundle in her hand and gave it to the young mother. The first second he saw her, Naruto knew he loved his child madly. His baby was just so cute with her tiny face and her weeny hands. He wished his daughter could already open her eyes to see if she had her mother's eyes as her hair was pink. At least she didn't inherit his messy hair. In fact, she didn't look much like him except those whiskers on her cheek, he proudly thought, finally noticing a detail like him. And it clicked. _How could she have whiskers on her cheeks?_

"Hum... Baa-chan... Is it possible that my genetic code got changed by hosting Kurama and passed to my kid?" Naruto asked confused.

The former Hokage stopped her activity at his question. "No! There is no such thing for jinchuuriki" the older woman answered and approached the couple to have another look at the baby. She hadn't noticed it at first, so used to seeing those same marks on the blond's face. But now that he mentioned it, babies were supposed to have those marks only if they were exposed to the demon chakra in the womb. Tsunade wondered curiously how it was possible.

Naruto switched in his inner mind to have a serious talk with his long time body-mate. _"_ _Oy! Kurama! Don't tell me you had some affair with my wife while I was sleeping or something!"_ he inquired angrily.

The giant fox snarled: _**"**_ _ **Idiot!"**_

Naruto fumed at his answer. _"_ _Idiot yourself! Why_ _does_ _my lovely baby have whiskers, if you're innocent?"_ he asked suspiciously.

The demon frowned staring at his friend, tempted to play a trick on him, but changed his mind. Kurama crossed his paws in defiance and told him the whole truth. _**"**_ _ **Your kit inherited the stupid Uzumaki power to chain me up. She ha**_ _ **s**_ __ _ **captured the part of**_ _ **the**_ __ _ **chakra I lent to your wife to save your life... You're now the happy father of another**_ _ **jinchuuriki**_ __ _ **with half of me... Hope you'**_ _ **ve**_ __ _ **studied your seal or**_ _ **she**_ _ **'ll**_ __ _ **cause havoc**_ _**with**_ __ _ **her first tantrum."**_

Naruto eyes went wide in realization of the implications. Kurama took the opportunity of the blond's stunned state to push him out of the realm. _**"**_ _ **Go tell your wife the news and tell her to not complain to me, she**_ _**begged me for my power!"**_

Naruto went back in control of his body, looking down at Sakura and the baby. _His baby girl was a_ _jinchuuriki_ _!_ He cleared his throat unsure on how to break the news. "A... huh... Sakura..." the young father started with a nervous smile stretched on his face attracting the suspicion of his wife. Sakura narrowed her eyes at him and he knew he was in trouble.

Day one as parents!

 _ **This is the end for this story. A sequel could be written someday if there is readers interested in it.**_

 **THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE REVIEWS, FAV AND FOLLOW... THE REVIEWS BEING MY BIGGEST MOTIVATION... THIS STORY IS ALL DEDICATED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.**

 **THANK YOU VERY MUCH ALL!**

 **For those who have insulted me or my work, you will** _ **not**_ **have my hatred. I refuse to go as low as that.**


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